"Think Beyond Plastic" Innovation Competition & Conference Announces Winners, 2014 Event

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 14, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Plastic Pollution Coalition's inaugural Think Beyond Plastic competition and conference, hosted by Ed Begley Jr., brought together innovators, thought-leaders and entrepreneurs from around the world. The competition and awards ceremony was sponsored by Elbaz Family Foundation with Ben Harper, Bonnaroo, One PacificCoast Bank, Rolling Stone Magazine and others; and included talks by best-selling author Daniel Goleman, entrepreneur Adam Werbach, as well as Leandro Herrero, Fran Seegull, Dan Imhoff and Prashanth Ramakrishna. Special appearances included philosopher-comedienne Emily Levine, poet-songwriting duo Ellyn & Robbie, and notable attendees Alice Waters and Jackson Browne.

The Winners of the Most Innovative Business award were D-Grade Clothing (UAE), designer and producer of clothing collections from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles; and Pulp Works (USA), creating sustainable packaging alternatives made from pulp. Each received a $10,000 prize presented by A-Spark Good Ventures of The Netherlands, and $5,000 in legal services, presented by Cooley Legal Services, of the United States.

The Winners of the Most Promising Emerging Business were BYOB (Malaysia), offering bulk cleaning products and refill stations, in.gredients (USA), a grocery store committed to reducing all packaging and Amazi (USA), a digital phone app aimed at helping consumers find clean water to refill reusable containers. Each received a cash prize in the amount of $500 presented by Plastic Pollution Coalition, and a package of services by Second Line Impact Investors.

The winners were selected from over 100 business plans submitted. The Jury included Adam Werbach of Yerdle, Eben Bayer of Ecovative, Mike Biddle of MBA Polymers, Julie Corbett of Ecologic, Adam Lowry of Method, Prof. Ramani Narayan from Michigan State University, Mike Velings of A-Spark Good Ventures, and Bina Venkataraman, at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT.

Plastic Pollution Coalition announced the 2nd Think Beyond Plastic competition will take place in 2014. "We're incredibly excited about the success of the competition and are pleased to announce that Think Beyond Plastic will be an annual event," said Plastic Pollution Coalition Executive Director Daniella Russo.

Founded in 2009, Plastic Pollution Coalition (www.PlasticPollutionCoalition.org) is a global alliance working towards a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on people, animals and the environment.

CONTACT: Michaelanne Petrella, [email protected], (415) 669-4PPC

SOURCE Plastic Pollution Coalition