Afri-Plastics Challenge awards £750,000 to innovations tackling behaviour change to plastic usage

South Africa: Fifteen (15) teams of innovators from Sub-Saharan Africa have been named finalists in the Afri-Plastics Challenge, with solutions that will change the behaviour of individuals and communities in Sub-Saharan Africa regarding plastic waste.

Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda will share a £50,000 grant to fund their solutions.

"Change at the till," a solution developed by Botswana's Meeticks Africa, made it to the finals. "Change at the Till" runs a 30-day challenge to get users to learn about how their use of single-use plastics, especially when shopping, harms the environment and contributes significantly to marine plastic waste, and to put what they learn into practise.

A multi-day gamified experience delivered via an intelligent WhatsApp chatbot and backend app is the solution.

Catharina Natang, a Cameroonian organisation, developed a Training-Empowerment-Promotion (TEP) model. The TEP model aims to train fashion designers in sustainable fashion and resource mobilisation, as well as to equip local designers with an understanding of the subtle but massive presence of plastic-based fabrics in the fashion industry, and how this contributes to the global plastic waste problem.

Students will learn about innovative non-plastic alternatives and how to obtain them, as well as how to recycle, properly dispose of, and choose non-plastic alternatives.

The project will also host annual sustainable fashion events to raise public awareness about sustainable fashion and reduce plastic waste that end up in oceans.

Kenya's Homeless of Kisumu's M-taka solution is also in the running, with the goal of economically training and empowering women to become recycling agents who build communities of recyclers by leveraging technology and inducing behavioural change through social connections and incentives.

The masses will be targeted through an app to increase recycling culture and connect them with agents in their areas to collect plastic and transport it to recyclers.

Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of International Development, Government of Canada said: “Plastic pollution is threatening our ecosystems and food systems. I strongly believe that we must empower communities across the world to make sustainable choices. Choices that result in a better, more environmentally friendly future for all. I look forward to seeing the hard work and innovation of these amazing finalists, and can't wait to contribute our expertise and efforts in supporting Africa in becoming a plastic waste-free continent.”

Tackling plastic pollution through three prize strands, today's finalists in the third strand, Promoting Change, are being supported to develop innovative engagement strategies such as gamification, incentives, and storytelling to promote behaviour change and educate communities, as well as provide insights into the roles that women and girls play across the value chain.

The problem of marine plastic pollution is becoming more serious, and we must ensure that awareness is translated into action and long-term behaviour change at both the individual and collective levels.

To assist the finalists in achieving this, they will be supported over the next several months by a capacity-building portfolio of subject matter experts to further develop their solution.

Constance Agyeman, Director of International Development, Challenge Works said: “The issue of marine plastic pollution has grown rapidly in recent years. It is crucial that awareness translates into action and long-term behaviour change, at individual and collective levels alike. The 15 finalists will be supported over the course of the next seven months to develop their communications campaigns and projects. The £50,000 grants will support teams to generate evidence of change around reducing littering, segregation of plastic waste, choosing reusable options, or refusing single-use plastic all together.”

Each finalist has already received a £5 000 grant to develop their ideas after making it through the semi-final round. Three winning projects will each receive £250,000 in March 2023.

While women and low-income populations are more likely to be negatively impacted by plastic pollution, they are also a driving force in their communities for positive change, leadership, and innovation. By promoting greater gender inclusiveness and social justice in national plastic waste policies, the Afri-Plastics Challenge aims to support innovative efforts to reduce plastic pollution in a way that empowers all.

Visit afri-plastics.challenges.org to learn more about the Afri-Plastics Challenge and the 15 finalists in the Promoting Change strand.