OpenIDEO 2020/2021 Beyond the Bag Challenge Is Out | Apply Here

The Beyond the Bag Challenge aims to identify innovative new design solutions that serve the function of today’s single-use plastic retail bag, delivering ease and convenience for consumers while striving to lessen the impact on the environment.

Successful solutions will strive to be compatible in diverse retail environments, deliver the ease and convenience of the single-use plastic bag, and reduce or eliminate the environmental impact. Solutions will address the packaging that transports products from point of sale to final customer destination. The Challenge is not seeking solutions to address inter-region shipping or long-distance delivery.

Benefits

• Winning Solutions are eligible to receive a portion of $1 million in funding;
• Selected Ideas are eligible to participate in the Beyond the Bag Accelerator and access potential piloting opportunities.

Eligibility

• Individuals, teams of individuals, and legal entities from all countries and territories are welcome and encouraged to participate;
• Solutions may include Reusable Models, Bagless Solutions, Innovative Materials;
• Solutions must transport goods from retailer to final destination while replacing the single-use plastic retail bag with an improved solution;
• Solutions may explore point of sale checkout, in-store pickup, local delivery from retailer or other key moments along the “retailer to destination” journey.

Evaluation Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• ‍People: The solution seeks to maintain the convenience, efficiency and effectiveness of the single-use plastic bag for customers and retail employees alike.
• Business: The solution seeks to create realizable long-term value for retailers in a wide variety of environments in the North American market.
• Planet: The solution seeks to operate within a circular system and lessen or eliminate environmental and social harm in its sourcing, production, useful life and end-of-life.

How To Apply

Participants are welcome to submit solutions to the Beyond the Bag Challenge through one of three submission channels.

• Submit publicly
• Submit non-publicly
• Advanced solutions

For more information, visit: OpenIDEO.

Application Deadline: September 4, 2020