OceanHub Africa, in partnership with The Coca-Cola Foundation, has launched a $120,000 pan-African challenge to promote innovative, science-driven solutions for plastic waste management across the continent. The initiative, titled Call for Bold Ideas in Plastic Circularity, invites scientists, innovators, and startups to submit scalable ideas that can move beyond the concept stage into commercially viable solutions with measurable environmental impact. The programme aims to accelerate practical innovations and business models that can recycle at least 490 tonnes of plastic waste and create over 150 sustainable livelihoods in coastal and urban communities.
Selected participants will benefit from OceanHub Africa’s venture builder framework, receiving funding, technical support, mentorship, and access to market networks to ensure real-world adoption. The initiative seeks to ensure that promising ideas do not remain confined to research or pilot stages but are developed into scalable businesses that deliver both environmental and economic benefits. By linking sustainability with economic inclusion, the challenge targets Africa’s growing plastic pollution crisis, projected to be a significant part of the continent’s solid waste exceeding 200 million tonnes annually by 2030, and aims to harness entrepreneurship and innovation to provide practical, lasting solutions.
