On science and innovation day at COP26, sustainability charity WRAP and UKRI launch a major new UK fund to support projects to reduce the impact of plastics on the environment in India, Chile, Kenya and South Africa.
The International Circular Plastics Flagship Projects Competition is a £1.7 million fund designed to address the problem of plastics pollution in these key nations. Applicants can apply for funding ranging from £50,000 up to £250,000 that demonstrate solutions which respond to specific targets under the Plastics Pacts of each nation, and which will ultimately help reduce plastic pollution in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
The funding focusses on four key themes:
- Flexible film packs including small format
- Reusable packaging and new business models
- Collection, sorting, cleaning and recycling
- End Market Development
WRAP, the UK based charity which has driven the development of Plastics Pacts in the UK and around the world, including those in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Network of Pacts, will deliver the grant on behalf of UKRI.
David Rogers, Head of International Programmes at WRAP said; “This funding forms a key part of our ongoing work to reduce the impact of plastic pollution across the globe. It will address one of the world’s most urgent and escalating environmental challenges and show how innovation and collaboration can contribute towards systematic change. I am pleased to announce the funding during COP26 when nations have come together, as the improvements this fund will make will be felt in many nations.
“WRAP is proud to have worked on each of the Plastics Pacts, which now means that there is now a Plastics Pact in every populous continent on the planet.”
Paul Davison, Challenge Director for the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging challenge at UKRI, “Representatives from dozens of nations have gathered at Cop26 at Glasgow this week to try to find solutions for environmental issues that affect the entire planet. One the most urgent issues is that of plastic pollution. UKRI and the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging challenge is in the vanguard of supporting efforts to address this challenge and we are proud to support this vital initiative.”
Organisations who are interested in applying should do so before the 13 January 2022 at 23:45 GMT. more information can be found on WRAP’s website.
Notes to Editor
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The Kenya Plastics Pact launched in October 2021 has 26 members representing every stage of the plastics packaging supply chain including influential industry associations, environmental NGOs, advocacy groups, and the government from across the region. The Kenya Plastic Pact is working towards an ambitious set of joint 2030 targets to create a circular economy for plastics in Kenya.
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The India Plastic Pact has been developed by WWF India and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). WRAP, with funding by UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) and Stewart Investors is a strategic partner of the India Plastic Pact. Stakeholders include Indian businesses, NGOs, and government are uniting behind The India Plastics Pact. The Pact launched in September 2021 and aims to transform the entire plastics value chain through four ambitious and measurable targets.
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The Chilean Plastics Pact, led by Fundacion Chile, was launched in 2019 and brings together stakeholders from the whole plastics value chain from packaging producers to recyclers, as well as other organizations including government, NGO, trade associations and academia working towards 4 common and ambitious targets to advance plastic circularity. WRAP is a strategic partner of the Chilean Plastic Pact.
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The South African Plastics Pact is a collaborative pre-competitive initiative that brings together key stakeholders from the local plastics value chain including businesses, the South African government, Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), NGOs and other key players to tackle plastics waste and pollution at its source. WRAP is a supporter of the South African Plastic Pact, which has an ambitious set of four 2025 targets to create a circular economy for plastics in South Africa.
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WRAP is a global NGO based in the UK. It is one of the UK’s top 5 environmental charities and works with governments, businesses and individuals to ensure that the world’s natural resources are used more sustainably. It is the charity leading the UK Plastics Pact (a world first), Courtauld Commitment 2030, Textiles 2030 as well as the citizen campaigns Love Food Hate Waste, Love Your Clothes, Clear on Plastics and Recycle Now. WRAP works collaboratively and develops and delivers evidence-based, solutions to reduce the environmental cost of the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the plastic packaging we use. Founded in 2000 in the UK, WRAP now works around the world and is a Global Alliance Partner of The Royal Foundation’s Earthshot Prize.
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UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Big challenges demand big thinkers - those who can unlock the answers and further our understanding of the important issues of our time. Our work encompasses everything from the physical, biological and social sciences, to innovation, engineering, medicine, the environment and the cultural impact of the arts and humanities. In all of these areas, our role is to bring together the people who can innovate and change the world for the better. We work with the government to invest over £8 billion a year in research and innovation by partnering with academia and industry to make the impossible, possible. Through the UK’s nine leading academic and industrial funding councils, we create knowledge with impact.
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Contact: Ian Palmer, Media Relations Manager, [email protected] 07802 873 431 www.wrap.org.uk