Net Impact Announces Third-Annual Case Competition to Drive Plastics Circularity

• Next generation of professionals challenged to develop a business concept leveraging artificial intelligence in plastics value chain
• Finalists will present virtually to panel of judges that includes leaders in sustainability 

OAKLAND, Calif., January 21, 2025 /3BL/ - Net Impact announces its third Circular Plastics Challenge with a case prompt that encourages emerging business professionals to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to maximize circularity in the plastics value chain.

Presented with the support of Hillenbrand, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company, the competition calls for participants to learn about the modern plastics value chain while developing AI-supported business models to maximize circularity at any point within the value chain (pre-consumer, during consumer use, or post-consumer). Final submissions are due in April, and in June, five finalist teams will present their concepts virtually to a panel of judges that includes plastics industry and sustainability leaders. The first-place team will be awarded $5,000, followed by $2,500 for second place and $1,000 for third place.

"We love this program because it enables our responsible business-oriented community to think critically about how to leverage the latest technology like AI for sustainable applications in the corporate context,” Karen Johns, CEO of Net Impact, said. “With so much growth around artificial intelligence, this will be a wonderful opportunity for our community to learn and explore this topic in tangible terms."

Net Impact and Hillenbrand, a leading global provider of highly-engineered processing equipment and solutions, developed the Circular Plastics Challenge concept in 2022 to foster innovation and champion sustainability. The first competition was held in 2023 to engage future leaders in developing industry-shifting ideas to keep plastics in the economy and out of the environment. In 2024, finalists presented concepts during a virtual showcase at NPE2024, a tradeshow produced by the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) that drew more than 50,000 attendees from over 110 countries. In the program’s first two years, teams representing dozens of countries around the world have submitted more than 115 proposals.

Net Impact facilitates the competition by bringing together its global network of social impact and sustainability leaders to address the challenge. With more than 130,000 members across over 300 chapters at colleges, universities, and local communities worldwide, Net Impact aims to address social challenges, protect the environment, develop new concepts and approaches, and leverage the tools of business toward the greater good.

“Plastics are essential to today’s global economy, and it is important that we continue to advance the material through the entire value chain. As we incorporate AI into this year’s competition, I believe we can unlock new possibilities in advancing plastics circularity,” said Kim Ryan, President and CEO of Hillenbrand. “This partnership with The Coca-Cola Company and Net Impact continues to foster innovation and engage the next generation of the plastics industry.”

In the competition’s inaugural year, participants were challenged to design solutions to keep plastics in the economy and out of the environment by using upstream innovation to reduce plastic leakage. The winning team was Ashaya, an India-based startup that is turning post-consumer multi-layer plastics, typically found in packets of chips, into new products such as recycled sunglasses. In 2024, participants were tasked with designing concepts to increase the supply of rPET, or recycled polyethylene terephthalate. The winning team, Strong Bottle, proposed a redesign of bottles intended to prevent flattening during the recycling process, which in turn could result in a 15% increase in PET collected during the recycling process.

More information about the Circular Plastics Challenge, including participant applications and previous winners, can be found at netimpact.org/programs/circular-plastics-challenge.

About Net Impact 
Over 30 years Net Impact has built a diverse community in 40+ countries committed to using business to advance social and environmental action. Net Impact mobilizes its global community of more than 100,000 emergent change agents to leverage their careers to drive transformational environmental and social change. Through a strategic set of initiatives aimed to engage and benefit its core stakeholders, Net Impact is committed to advancing climate action and building the capacity of the next generation of workforce members. Visit www.netimpact.org.

About Hillenbrand 
Hillenbrand (NYSE: HI) is a global industrial company that provides highly-engineered, mission-critical processing equipment and solutions to customers in over 100 countries around the world. Our portfolio is composed of leading industrial brands that serve large, attractive end markets, including durable plastics, food, and recycling. Guided by our Purpose — Shape What Matters For Tomorrow™ — we pursue excellence, collaboration, and innovation to consistently shape solutions that best serve our associates, customers, communities, and other stakeholders. To learn more, visit www.Hillenbrand.com.

About The Coca-Cola Company 
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide. Our portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Our water, sports, coffee and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Gold Peak and Ayataka. Our juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

CONTACT:

Net Impact 
Hilary Manzo, Associate Director of Programs 
Phone: 415-495-4230 x369 
Email: [email protected]