U.S. Plastics Pact seeks businesses to mentor
The U.S. Plastics Pact is accepting applications through Oct. 20 for its Reuse Catalyst, a program designed to support and develop scalable reuse and refill solutions.
“The Reuse Catalyst aims to bolster the development of emerging and established reuse innovators, and the broader industry, through shared learnings, expertise, connectivity and amplification,” said Emily Tipaldo, executive director, U.S. Plastics Pact.
The Reuse Catalyst was jointly created by the U.S. Plastics Pact, Closed Loop Partners, the Reusable Packaging Association and World Wildlife Fund. Companies that are selected will gain access to experts and investors, as well as increased visibility as a “U.S. Pact Reuse Catalyst Partner.”
The U.S. Pact said reusable packaging offers a strong economic growth opportunity; if 20 percent of global plastic packaging were to be converted to reusable packaging, $10 billion would be added into the economy.
Companies of all sizes that are testing or piloting commercial reusable or refillable packaging systems within the U.S. are eligible, whether they are currently U.S. Pact Activators or not. There is no cost to apply or participate in the program.
Programs will be scored using these considerations:
• Environmental, including the product material, the number of possible reuses and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Social, including the accessibility, affordability and customer desirability of the product.
• Economic, including market demand, cost-savings models and additional values provided by the reuse product or system.
• Scalability, including the diversity and scale of partnerships, interoperability of the product, location and the product category.
Winners gain access to the U.S. Pact network, which consists of more than 110 organizations spanning the plastics value chain, including meetings with participating innovators, retailers, investors and mentors, plus learning opportunities and partnerships. Businesses will participate in the program for six to 18 months.
“The U.S. Pact’s Reuse Catalyst program will help reuse entrepreneurs tap into the Pact’s collaborative network of experts to support their developing reusable or refillable packaging solution,” said Tim Debus, president and CEO, Reusable Packaging Association, in a statement.
The U.S. Plastics Pact is a consortium led by the Recycling Partnership and World Wildlife Fund as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Its goals include defining and reducing problem packaging, and aiming to make all packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable.
Find the application at https://airtable.com/shr4Fq6oiFHfKstAT
