Giving Compass' Take:

• Impact Hub looks back on a year of strategic partnerships with three accelerators in particular that are all doing their part of creating a cleaner ocean. 

• What are the main challenges in funding ocean cleanup? 

• Read more about what funding the ocean looks like. 

With plastic waste entering the ocean at a rate of 1 garbage truck per minute, and a bleak prediction of more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050, the time to act is now. That’s why we’ve partnered with WWF to amplify our collective, positive impact on our oceans.

Now, looking back since we first partnered up to protect our oceans, we’re proud to highlight 3 successful accelerators that this alliance has helped to produce, bringing many social entrepreneurs’ ideas to impact at scale…

  1.  The Plastic Free Ocean Accelerator: Back in January 2018, WWF and Impact Hub Amsterdam joined forces to accelerate startups focused on reducing plastic pollution and plastic leakage into the ocean. These inspiring members are all focused on:
    1. Preventing or minimising the use of plastics by developing plastic alternatives.
    2. Reusing, recycling and repurposing plastic waste.
    3. Raising public awareness and promoting behavioural change with, for instance, campaigns to say ‘no’ to disposable plastic.
  2.  The Fellowship on Ocean Cleanup: In December 2017, Gr3n Recycling won the Impact Hub Milan fellowship on Ocean Cleanup. They used WWF’s and Impact Hub’s mentoring program to develop a new technology that allows the chemical recycling of some plastics. Since this fellowship’s incubation, Gr3n Recycling is now:
    1. Increasing the amount of recyclable PET (polyester textile) from 10% to 100%.
    2. Transferring chemical recycling processes from research labs to industry.
    3. Scaling up to establish a recycling industrial plant that will help amplify their impact.
  3. The Ocean Challenge Program: Back in November 2016, WWF Japan and Impact Hub Tokyo launched the Ocean Challenge Program to support entrepreneurs working towards a sustainable fishery industry. As a country completely surrounded by the ocean, Japan imports and consumes some of the world’s largest fisheries, shellfish, shrimp and crabs, and this program aims to diminish this unsustainable development.

Read the full article about accelerators working to save the ocean at Impact Hub Network