In April, Walmart launched the Circular Connector, a platform to connect sustainable package makers with products in need. Recently, U.S. Plastics Pact, a collaborative led by The Recycling Partnership and World Wildlife Fund, chose to collaborate with Walmart to bring the Circular Connector tool to the Pact’s inaugural Innovation Awards, and feature award prizes from the retailer.
The collaborative unites over 850 organizations, including Walmart, and seeks to ensure that plastics don’t become waste by eliminating extraneous plastics; to innovate the material to always be reusable, recyclable, or compostable; and to circulate the used plastic items to keep them in the economy and out of the environment.
The awards are designed to inspire new packaging solutions and provide a platform for innovators to test their ideas. Eligible businesses are encouraged to apply for consideration in one of the following categories:
• Recyclability
• Reuse/Refill
• Composability
Award winners will receive manufacturing trial discussions with Walmart, four mentoring sessions with Walmart Private Brand Packaging teams, promotion through the U.S. Plastics Pact channels and support from its network, and the chance to be featured on the Sustainable Packaging Podcast.
Related: Walmart’s Open Call Wraps Up; US Foods Opens Sustainable Facility