Global Innovation Challenge 2021: The Future Of Flexibles

Today, Asia is the fastest growing market for flexible packaging, with over 42% of the global market share. Flexible plastic packaging is most commonly made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), or mixed materials and is notoriously difficult to recycle, resulting in very low recycling rates across the region. As a result, plastic bags and food wrappers are the second and third most common marine debris, and are the culprit for many environmental and health concerns across Asia. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way. The complexity of the challenge means there are many potential entry points for solutions, from upstream redesign to downstream end-of-life uses.

Any established venture equipped with a possible solution for hard-to-recycle, flexible plastic materials and their relevant value chains aiming to build a waste-free future in South and Southeast Asia should apply for this challenge. 

The Incubation Network will select a cohort from around the world and assign them to one of two tracks: an incubation track for young startups eager to get their innovation off the ground, and an acceleration track for those more mature startups and SMEs interested in expanding their footprint in South and Southeast Asia.

Applications close April 7, 2021. Learn more about the challenge and apply HERE