Circular Connect Competition
Objectives:
- Conduct a competition for select higher education institutions in the Western Visayas region (of the Philippines) to be a platform for youth to be involved in proposing circular economy solutions to local waste challenges.
- Produce a knowledge product of the innovation competition process and student ideas that came out of it.
Project Duration: June – December 2023
Designed For: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Role: Contractor for GIZ’s 3RProMar Project
Overview: An innovation competition to help communities address local waste management issues by engaging with higher education institutions (HEIs) and encouraging youth to design circular economy-focused solutions that help solve the growing problem of plastic pollution and marine litter in the Western Visayas, Philippines.
To effectively reach students in the Western Visayas, I worked with GIZ’s 3RproMar project to engage with faculty and staff at higher education institutions (HEIs) in the region. We asked the HEI representatives to promote the Circular Connect Competition on their campus by sharing information and asking students to join.
Communication with registered participants: Weekly emails were sent out to students who registered their interest in joining the competition. Students were guided through a journey, prompting them to complete each part of the circular innovation toolkit: problem identification and ideating potential circular solutions. They were also invited to online sessions hosted during the competition: Introduction to Circular Economy and an Ask-Us-Anything Session.
Access to circular innovation toolkit and supplementary videos: Acknowledging that some students may be learning about ‘circular economy’ or ‘innovation’ for the first time, it was important to provide them with resources to build their understanding. The toolkit also helped the students put the concept of circular economy innovation into practice by providing them with practical worksheets and advise for engaging with stakeholders in their community.
Boot camp for longlisted teams: After the competition submission deadline we longlisted teams based on the following criteria categories: (1) problem identification, (2) innovative solution, (3) local relevance and feasibility, (4) circular design. They were invited to take part in a boot camp to help them refine their circular idea before the final shortlist. In addition to completing practical tasks for each boot camp module, the students also received feedback on their pitch decks from the Circular Cities Asia team.
Three teams were selected as winners of the competition. The prizes included a small grant for each team and the opportunity to present their circular solutions during GIZ’s National Stakeholder Forum.
During the National Stakeholder Forum, the student teams were able to network with relevant stakeholders with regards to marine litter, waste management and circular economy. For example, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, NGOs such as Evergreen Labs and corporations working on compliance with the Extended Producer Responsibility Act.
After the competition, I prepared a knowledge product which summarised the competition mechanics, execution and each team’s circular idea. Additionally, I included some of the insights gained as a result of the competition and testimonials. [DOWNLOAD HERE]