PXP Sustainability has been selected as a research partner by The Circulate Initiative and The Incubation Network to lead life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of select alternative solutions to single use plastics (SUPs) under The SUP Challenge.
The SUP Challenge was launched on 27 January 2022 by The Incubation Network and the PREVENT Waste Alliance to catalyze the reduction of SUP waste in South and Southeast Asia, a region that dominates in global ocean plastics waste generation. From April to October 2022, The Incubation Network will carry out the program through engaging eight Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) that will bring together 80 startups from India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam who offer solutions for food and beverage (F&B) outlets to move away from SUPs. Solutions will focus on circular reusable/refillable products and plastic material alternatives. As part of the program, startups will get the opportunity to partner with F&B businesses in their respective countries to pilot their solutions.
During the pilots, PXP will compare the environmental impacts of select solutions versus SUPs across all life cycle stages from cradle to grave. The findings of the LCA studies will be used to understand the key factors that drive environmental impacts of SUPs and their alternatives, determine how SUP alternatives should be optimized to achieve environmental benefits, and identify potential infrastructure or commercial activities that can support SUP alternatives so that they provide environmental benefits.
Commenting on the unique initiative, Piya Kerdlap, Managing Director of PXP, said, “As F&B businesses and related government agencies are making plans to meet decarbonization and other sustainability targets, it is important that the solutions that are promoted and invested in offer environmental benefits that are backed up by transparent scientific evidence. We are delighted to collaborate with The Incubation Network and The Circulate Initiative in learning from the pilots the challenges of implementing various SUP alternative solutions at different scales and country contexts and how these factors affect their environmental performance.”
Over the next few months, the selected ESOs will participate in cohort-based programming, mentoring sessions, and one-on-one support to enhance delivery of their projects to accelerate startup solutions. The experiences and best practices of the acceleration projects and their pilots will be captured in a Technical Assistance Playbook for ESOs developed by The Incubation Network.
This project is part of The SUP Challenge, a program implemented by The Incubation Network and funded by the PREVENT Waste Alliance, an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and ECCA Family Foundation. The SUP Challenge is part of PREVENT’s Innovate & PREVENT programme.
Supported by: Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) | SecondMuse | The Circulate Initiative | ECCA Family Foundation | Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada | Alliance to End Plastic Waste
About The Incubation Network
The Incubation Network is an impact-driven initiative that sources, supports and scales holistic innovative solutions to combat plastic pollution and improve the livelihoods of vulnerable groups in waste management and recycling systems. Together with a highly collaborative community of diverse partners, The Incubation Network works to tackle key barriers to address plastic leakage and advance a circular economy through strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems.
About The Circulate Initiative
The Circulate Initiative is a non-profit organization committed to solving the ocean plastic pollution challenge by creating more circular, inclusive and investible waste management and recycling systems in emerging markets.
About PXP Sustainability
PXP Sustainability is a consultancy that assists businesses, non-profit organizations, and development agencies achieve their sustainability goals in Asia through systems thinking, evidence-based methods, and cross-cutting stakeholder engagement.
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