£1.8m for creative campaigns to tackle plastic pollution in sub-Saharan Africa
UK-based Innovation foundation Nesta Challenges will award £1.8m to creative campaigns, schemes, tools and other interventions to promote widespread behaviour change toward plastic waste in sub-Saharan Africa in the third and final strand of the Afri-Plastics Challenge.
17 million tonnes of plastic waste is generated in Africa each year, with only 12 per cent recycled. The rest is landfilled or incinerated with significant quantities entering the marine ecosystem. The Promoting Change strand of the Afri-Plastics Challenge follows the launch of the Accelerating Growth strand in July seeking innovations to better manage plastic pollution and the Creating Solutions strand launched in October seeking innovation to reduce or eliminate plastic usage across sub-Saharan Africa.
The Afri-Plastics Challenge: Promoting Change strand is seeking innovative engagement strategies such as nudges, gamification, incentives, and storytelling that promote behaviour change in one or more of four focus areas:
- Reducing littering
- Separating plastic waste
- Choosing reusable options
- Refusing single-use plastic
Across the focus areas, the challenge is seeking insights on the roles that women and girls play across the plastics management value chain in sub-Saharan African communities too.
30 semi-finalists will be awarded £5,000 each in April 2022 to develop their concepts ahead of judging in June. From there, 15 finalists will be selected, with each awarded £50,000 to further develop their campaign, scheme, tool or intervention. In March 2023 the three winning teams will be awarded £250,000 each. In addition to the financial support, teams will be provided with capacity building expertise by Nesta Challenges and industry experts to support the development of their ideas.
Constance Agyeman, Director of International Development, Nesta Challenges said: “Plastic pollution is a terrible and ever-growing threat to the environment and health of sub-Saharan African communities. Sustainable consumer choices will make the difference between disaster and success in taking on the millions of tonnes of plastic being dumped, buried and burnt each year across the continent.
“Not only do we need innovation to minimise the quantity of plastic being produced and to better manage plastic waste after it is used, but key to the long-term success of tackling plastic pollution will be people and the choices they make – creative communications that shift behaviour and attitudes around plastic use are essential.”
Applicants to the Afri-Plastic Challenge: Promoting Change strand must have a new or early-stage idea focused on sub-Saharan Africa. Entries are welcomed from registered businesses, NGOs, community groups and individuals. Entrants from outside of sub-Saharan Africa must be in partnership with a sub-Sahara African lead applicant. The deadline for entries is Wednesday 16 February 2022 at 12 noon (GMT).