The initiative, organized by Universidad ORT Uruguay the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), seeks proposals for solutions to the problem of plastic pollution, an issue with serious environmental, social, economic, and health consequences.
The plastic problem
Plastic has been one of the most significant developments of the 20th century, but due to the excessive and inappropriate use humans have made of it, it has become a genuine global problem.
The world produces more than 430 million tons of plastic each year, two-thirds of which are short-lived products that quickly become waste.
“We must put an end to plastic pollution. This will require nothing less than a complete overhaul of how we produce, use, recover, and dispose of plastics and the products that contain them,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, in a press release dated June 5, following World Environment Day.
In Uruguay, nearly 200,000 tons of plastic products are used each year, but less than 5% is recycled, according to data from the Ministry of the Environment’s National Waste Management Plan.
Solutions to this problem often need to be implemented on a larger scale, but the ideas behind them usually originate on a small scale, often involving simple yet completely innovative concepts.
The Contest
The assignments to be submitted consist of developing, in both written and visual form, a proposal for a solution to the problem of plastic pollution. Both components must clearly identify the problem to be addressed and the proposed solution.
The focus can be on any stage of the plastic lifecycle: from the extraction of natural resources and production, through marketing, use, reuse, recycling, and repurposing or diversification, among other stages, all the way to its inevitable final disposal.
How to participate
The contest is open to students in their 5th or 6th year of high school in any academic track at public or private institutions in Uruguay, or those enrolled in the equivalent technical high school program at UTU.
Entries must be submitted electronically via the university's website by Friday, September 29, 2023.
On Wednesday, September 13, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., a workshop will be held at the ORT Downtown Campus for those interested in participating in the contest.
There, they will be provided with information and an overview of the issue at hand, and any questions or concerns raised by the participants will be addressed to guide them through the process.