Commission for Environmental Cooperation

Winners of the 2020 CEC Youth Innovation Challenge Announced

Bruized

Monique Chan

Bruized is a women-run food enterprise created from a passion project to combat food waste through education and yummy eats.

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Bruized

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Bruized is a women-run food enterprise created from a passion project to combat food waste through education and yummy eats. We source second grade produce or by-products like juice pulp from grocery retails, wholesalers and juiceries to create healthy plant-based snacks. We want people to feel good about what they fuel their bodies with while disrupting the current food system by diverting food from the trash. Through this, our ultimate goal is to remove the stigma associated with imperfections in our food; bringing education and empowerment to our community members that they themselves can help reduce waste as individuals! We also strive to do this by promoting a zero waste lifestyle and offering all our products in up-cycled or reusable materials.

NoPlastic

Karime Guillen

NoPlastic is an innovative 100% biodegradable compostable bioplastic, based on Nopal cactus, agro-industrial fruit waste including peels and leaves, as well as natural additives.

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NoPlastic

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NoPlastic is an innovative 100% biodegradable compostable bioplastic, based on Nopal cactus, agro-industrial fruit waste including peels and leaves, as well as natural additives. NoPlastic aims to act as a substitute material for products made of synthetic plastic to manufacture truly ecological and quality products. Thanks to its total content of organic and biological materials, its disposal generates a positive environmental impact, with a rapid degradation in a matter of months under normal environmental conditions. In addition, it has the great property of functioning as composting material once it is discarded. It can also function as an additive to be added to plastic, thus increasing the percentage of organic matter of certain products already on the market to accelerate their biodegradability.

Rebundle

Ciara May

Rebundle is a plant-based synthetic hair brand that eliminates skin rashes and single-use waste.

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Rebundle

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Rebundle is a plant-based synthetic hair brand that eliminates skin rashes and single-use waste. Our hair products are made from a renewable banana tree stem that is completely compostable at the end of its life. Once women are done wearing the hair, they can either mail it back to us and we’ll dispose of it at industrial composting farms, or compost it themselves. Women are demanding chemical-free beauty products that are better for our skin and better for the environment. By switching to plant-based manufacturing, we provide hair products that are safer to use and environmentally friendlier than any other product on the market.

Important Dates
31 March, 2020 – Submission deadline
Week of May 11, 2020 – Announce 3 winners
25 & 26 June, 2020 – Winners present their solutions

How do you submit a solution via Submittable?
It is easy to submit your solution through Submittable.

1. Log-in or register a profile with Submittable
2. Read and accept the challenge guidelines
3. Fill out the form to submit your solution

What are the elements of a successful submission? 

• It describes a solution that addresses  an environmental sustainability challenge in North America
• It includes a solution that has a direct impact on North American communities
• It demonstrates the innovativeness and business potential of your proposed solution
• It is supported by photos, videos, schematics and prototype designs

What do we mean by innovative solution?
The innovative solutions could be a:

• Product
• Technology
• System
• Process
• Application
• Service
• Business
• Supply chain

Who can join the challenge?

• You can join if you are aged 18 to 30 on the date that you submit the solution
• You can submit a solution individually or as a team
• You must be a resident of Canada, Mexico or the United States

How will your innovative solution be evaluated?
Your proposed solutions will be judged against the 4 following criteria:

1. Impact (30%)
   How does your solution benefit the environment and the livelihoods of North American communities? Does it create green jobs and economic opportunities?
2. Innovation (30%)
   How is your solution innovative? How does it differ from current solutions?
3. Feasibility & Replicability (30%)
   How will you implement your solution considering technological feasibility and the availability of resources? Is your solution replicable and scalable?
4. Economic Value (10%)
   Is there a market for your solution or does it fill a specific niche? Does your solution have potential for economic growth?

Who will select the finalists?
9 North American panelists will evaluate and select the finalists:

• 3 youth ambassadors from the EcoInnovation Network with expertise in innovation (1 Mexico, 1 United States, 1 Canada)
• 3 CEC Joint Public Advisory Committee/Traditional Ecological Knowledge Expert Group members (1 Mexico, 1 United States, 1 Canada)
• 3 experts on social entrepreneurship (1 Mexico, 1 United States, 1 Canada)

Who will select the winners?
The three winning solutions will be selected by environmental officials from the federal governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States from the pre-selected group of finalists.