A team of Sri Lankan science undergraduates became overall winners of a South Asian youth hackathon to come up with innovative solutions to tackle the global crisis of plastic pollution.

The winners designed a biodegradable fish storage box as an alternative to Styrofoam-based boxes widely used in fisheries. The team, calling itself ‘Myco Box by White Root’, instead proposes to use mycelium, a root-like structure found in fungus. Second place was won by an Indian youth team called ‘Green Alchemy’ who came up with an enzyme-based plastic biodegradation innovation. Coming third was the ‘Eco Pet’ team from Bhutan, who proposed a gamification platform linked to a smartphone app to promote consumer education for reducing household waste. These winners were chosen from among 23 finalist teams – comprising 67 young men and women aged 18 to 30 – in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The competition, known as PLEASE Hack, was an initiative under the Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia (PLEASE) Project, a five-year regional initiative implemented by the South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP), funded by the World Bank and supported by UNOPS.

The finalist teams pitched their innovative solutions to a panel of experts drawn from across the region. Judges ranked the teams based on their solution’s innovative potential, business model, implementation plan, regional collaboration and scalability as well as overall environmental and social sustainability. Their final selections were unanimous. PLEASE Hack attracted more than 250 youth from the eight eligible countries who formed into 98 teams to present innovative solutions to reduce plastic use and improve waste management in households and communities, or in micro, small, and medium enterprises. Shortlisted teams engaged in a two-week virtual Hackathon during March, collaborating within each team to refine and develop their innovative concepts. They received mentoring support and guidance from national experts. Country level judging then selected 23 teams who were supported to travel to the South Asian Regional Final held in Colombo on April 6.

The regional winners will receive seed funding to enable them in refining their innovations and presenting them to potential investors. National-level winners from each South Asian country were also recognised and rewarded.

“Our planet will flourish only when our youth are empowered to take stewardship,” said Norbu Wangchuk, Director General of SACEP, expressing his enthusiasm for the initiative. “This hackathon demonstrates the commitment of our youth in South Asia, who are not only worried about the plastic crisis that we face but also offer solutions to save the planet from the crisis. This Hackathon is empowering the youth to take charge of their future.”

“South Asia is projected to see over one million young people join the labour force monthly over the next 10 years,” said Cecile Fruman, Director, Regional Integration in the South Asia Region (SAR) for the World Bank. “Fostering innovation and job creation through public and private sector solutions needs to be a key priority. Initiatives such as the hackathon create sustainable job opportunities for young innovators in support of the goal of the PLEASE project to promote circular economy innovation.”

Charles Callanan, Director, South Asia Multi-Country Office, UNOPS, emphasised the long-term benefits of the event, noting, “The PLEASE Hack Hackathon is about transforming innovation into practical solutions. We are excited to see these ideas come to life and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable South Asia.”