We're thrilled to announce we've been nominated for the prestigious Earthshot Prize, the most ambitious environmental prize in history. Its mission: to tackle the planet's biggest environmental problems in just 10 years!
We've been very fortunate to not just be nominated once, but twice! Our good friends at both Tearfund and The African Circular Economy Network have put Eco Brixs forward in the category of 'Build a Waste-Free World'.
As the name suggests, this tier aligns perfectly with the aim outlined in our logo of 'building zero waste communities'.
What is the Earthshot Prize?
The Earthshot Prize was launched by Prince William and the Royal Foundation on 31st December 2019. It is a collaboration between high profile personalities such as Sir David Attenborough, Cate Blanchett, Indra Nooyi, and organisations like Greenpeace, WWF, and the UN Environment Programme. The first award of its kind, it seeks to repair the planet over the next decade.
To do this, the historic organisation is offering five 1 million pound grants per year, for the next 10 years, to the projects capable of solving the world's greatest environmental problems. Together, this will cumulate into 50 solutions to not only save the planet but to revolutionise our relationship with the environment for generations to come.
In addition to the large grant, The Earthshot Prize is also offering the winning projects tailored support to upscale their ideas so they can be adopted by the masses.
Overall, by incentivising the changes required and empowering organisations to carry them out, the prize aims to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism, by highlighting human resourcefulness and our ability to bring about change through collective action.
The prize's name draws inspiration from another pioneering goal - when John F. Kennedy's 1961 Moonshot ambition galvanised millions into believing, by working together, a man could walk on the moon by the end of the decade. Just eight years later, on 20th July 1969, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon!
Five Categories: One Mission
The Earthshot Prize acknowledges that the mission to reverse the damage done to the planet will mean simultaneously tackling 5 different environmental problems over the decade.
To carry this out, of the five £1 million grants awarded every year (until 2030), each will be assigned to tackle a different problem. The five individual 'Earthshots' are:
Protect and Restore Nature
Clean our Air
Revive our Oceans
Build a Waste-Free World
Fix our Climate
These 5 ambitious goals to repair our planet are each based on scientific research and targets, working with international measures such as The UN Sustainable Development Goals. These 50 solutions, found by the end of 2030, will all introduce new ways of thinking, as well as the technologies, systems and policies we need to change our relationship with the planet.
Our Category: Build a Waste-Free World
We've been nominated for the 'Earthshot: Build a Waste-Free World', which aims to:
By 2030, to build a world where nothing goes to waste, where the leftovers of one process become the raw materials of the next - just like they do in nature.
This Earthshot outlines how we throw away practically everything and how this is not only harming the planet, but is unsustainable. Therefore its objectives are to do things such as help eliminate food waste and single-use packaging. It seeks to inspire a new generation of people, companies and industries to reuse, repurpose and recycle. This includes helping cities to revolutionise their waste management systems and give new life to the items headed to landfill.
Overall, the goal is to build systems "that can work forever, where people can live safe and happy lives, without waste".
Does this sound familiar? If you've followed Eco Brixs for a little while, you might have heard us echo a similar message... We dream of building zero waste communities where nothing is thrown away and everything is repurposed!
We're currently focused on turning plastic waste into new products, such as the brick and paver pictured above, and would love to upscale our model to eventually include other materials.
Likewise, with no waste management systems in Uganda, it means the majority of rubbish is either burnt or ends up in landfill. Our original mission set out to tackle this very problem, as we work to revolutionise how the country deals with its waste, in order to protect both the environment and the people.
Furthermore, by 'giving trash a value', and paying the community for the plastic they bring to us, we're creating accessible jobs for everyone. Even from a position of poverty, people can earn a living, allowing them to live happy and safe lives.
Therefore, we're hoping, just maybe, we might have a good chance with 'The Earthshot Prize: Build a Waste Free-World'. There are certainly a lot of similarities! 🤞
What's next?
Firstly, we wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU to our partners, supporters and friends who have made it possible to get this far, recycling tonnes of plastic in Uganda and creating thousands of jobs opportunities - helping the environment and the community. We really couldn't have achieved this without your help, and we're so thrilled to simply be nominated for The Earthshot Prize, which is a huge honour! :)
In terms of next steps, it is a 5 stage process of nominations, screening, shortlisting, final selection, and then the award ceremony.
We've crossed the first hurdle by being nominated, so the next stage is for all the applications to be screened by a panel of experts, who then draw up a shortlist for each category of The Earthshot Prize. Then, a winner will be selected from each shortlist by The Earthshot Prize Council - made up of individuals such as Prince William and David Attenborough!
So please, over the next few weeks and months, please do keep your fingers crossed for us! Becoming one of the '50 solutions' would not only be a brilliant achievement but provide us with the resources to expand Eco Brixs to help even more people alongside the environment. We'll be sure to keep you updated on our progress.
In the meantime, we wanted to leave you with this inspiring video made by The Earthshot Prize, which highlights the 'Build a Waste-Free World' Earthshot. It outlines the award's aims, whilst coincidently describing the fundamental thoughts behind the Eco Brixs' model.
It really does make you believe that change is possible, and we hold the power to end waste - all within the next 10 years! 😀♻️💪
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