USA – American multinational technology company, Google LLC is inviting food and beverage companies that offer single-use, plastic-free packaging solutions to apply for its Single-Use Plastics Challenge to reduce the food service industry’s plastic footprint.
The challenge is hosted in collaboration with premier food service management company Canteen and other food service partners.
Google will look to select top innovations in the categories of food product packaging, food service supplies, and for distribution and delivery packaging.
Successful entrants will be allowed to pitch their solutions to Google and test them at its cafes and MicroKitchens in the US.
Finalists in the challenge will get to pitch their products to Google and global food operators with the chance to scale them across its U.S. offices.
Google says that products must meet U.S. federal, state and local food safety regulations and Google Food program standards for health, environmental, social and financial considerations.
The tech giant adds that it aims to switch from using single-use disposable products in its onsite food service operations to more reusable solutions to eliminate the use of single-use plastics.
As well as launching the challenge, Google says that over the last two years, it has mapped out the types of single-use plastic products purchased through its supply chain and partnered with distributors that use more reusable, durable containers to transport goods.
Google says to create a more “sustainable world” society must accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Last year, the tech company launched a new accelerator for circular economy start-ups and non-profits.
The accelerator offered ten weeks of virtual programming, including mentoring and technical support from Google engineers and external experts through a mix of 1-to-1 and 1-to-many learning sessions.
Google continues that while this linear economic model has led to a great deal of progress for humanity in a short time, it has also created environmental harm, injustice, and disparities — particularly for lower-income and under-resourced communities that are located near industrial areas where pollution is more prevalent.
Building on the “success” of Accelerator: Climate Change, Google says it’s pleased to announce its first Google for Startups Accelerator: Circular Economy for start-ups and non-profit organizations in Asia-Pacific and North America that focus on using technology to solve circularity challenges — including reuse, refill, recycling, composting, fashion, food, safe and circular materials and the built environment.
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