Wise with Waste

Our Solution:

Wise with Waste

Tagline

“Offseting” the waste you produce by funding the removal of waste elsewhere

Pitch us on your solution

The idea stems from carbon offsetting. Customers go to our website and roughly calculate their monthly waste footprint. Depending on the amount of waste they generate, they will be offered to “offset” their waste by paying to retrieve waste in critical areas of the world. We select projects from One Young World ambassadors that aim to retrieve waste/recycle plastics and allow the customers to choose from these projects which ones they would like to support. After the customer has paid, they will be given tips on how they can further reduce the waste they generate. 

What is the problem you are solving?

Plastic waste does not belong in our oceans, and it has become a mounting problem in many parts of the world. When plastic breaks down in the landfill, it ends up as microplastics which are harmful to animals that ingest them. If nothing is done, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

Every year, 8 million metric tons of plastics enter our ocean on top of the estimated 150 million metric tons that currently circulate our marine environments. 

Ocean plastic pollution may flow from geographic hotspots, but it does not originate there. Successfully controlling it requires both dealing with existing plastic waste and reducing plastic exports to these hotspots, of which the US is a major offender. Ocean plastic pollution is a global problem that requires both localized solutions to dealing with existing plastic pollution and broad systems change to minimize the volume of plastic to recycle or dispose of safely in the first place. 

Who are you serving?

We will address existing pollution by engaging young people, One Young World ambassadors, students, local social entrepreneurs and activists in "offsetting" their waste through our solution and directing this money towards projects focused on retrieving plastic from the ocean. 

The solution addresses the needs of the target audience step-by-step. First step is to help offset the current waste, including plastic waste. Second step is to help people change their behavior to remove and reduce waste from their day-to-day life. 

What is your solution?

The idea stems from carbon offsetting. Customers go to our website and roughly calculate their monthly waste footprint. Depending on the amount of waste they generate, they will be offered to “offset” their waste by paying to retrieve waste in critical areas of the world. We select projects from a pool of approved projects that aim to retrieve waste/recycle plastics and allow the customers to choose from these projects which ones they would like to support. After the customer has paid, they will be given tips on how they can further reduce the waste they generate. 

What processes and technology are needed for this project?

• A website. First focus on designing the offset version 0 using any kind of online form that allows users to input answers (ex: Google Form)

• Projects focusing on waste reduction (v1 from OYW working group) 

• Projects providing alternatives to plastic products (v1 from OYW working group)

Select only the most relevant.

• Reduce single-use plastics and waste through promoting consumer behavior change and incentivizing re-use and recycling

Where our solution team is headquartered or located:

Our solution's stage of development: