Plastics innovation: towards zero waste

£4 million for innovation projects that reduce the harm that plastics do to our environment and increase productivity and growth of the UK economy.

Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £4 million in innovation projects to reduce the harm that plastics do to our environment and increase productivity and growth of the UK economy.

The aim of this competition is to support innovative activities that result in less persistent plastic waste in our environment.

The competition is designed to support innovation with the potential to deliver circular economy approaches to plastic use (including for polymer-based textiles and elastomers). For example, this could include:

• developing new polymer materials
• new product designs
• new recycling processes
• increasing the value of recycled polymer
• behaviour focussed innovation to reduce plastic waste
• Projects should describe how they aim to reduce plastic waste going to landfill or the wider environment.

Applications related to recovering energy from waste via incineration are excluded, but projects related to compostable or biodegradable approaches are in scope.

If you are a business, you can carry out the project on your own or you can collaborate with others. A business or research and technology organisation (RTO) must lead the project.

Find out more about this funding opportunity here