Canada’s International Marine Plastics Challenge

This project reduces ocean plastics by supporting innovative solutions to plastic management in Sub-Saharan Africa. The challenge encourages solutions that prevent plastics from entering oceans by adding value to plastics and creating markets for the improved collection and management of plastic waste. The challenge also encourages solutions that support vulnerable people to manage transform and utilize plastics more effectively. Project activities include: (1) supporting innovations through various stages such as ideation pilot testing and scaling; (2) delivering technical assistance to attract a diverse group of innovators from local and developing contexts; (3) facilitating partnerships and collaborations between innovators; and (4) providing gender-responsive training to innovators to promote the economic social and physical empowerment of women and girls. This project expects to benefit those in Sub-Saharan Africa who directly interact with marine litter especially workers informally employed in the plastics value chain. Other expected beneficiaries include innovators and applicants to the challenge local businesses and communities. The project also anticipates benefits to broader society as innovation could inspire a further uptake of ideas. Given the specific challenges facing women and girls in the targeted countries the project aims to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) scaled replicated and/or adopted new innovations in developing contexts; (2) leveraged investments supporting the entrance of innovations into markets; and (3) raised awareness of the threat of marine plastics in local contexts and raised awareness of the different ways to tackle the issue.