News – Thought Leadership
Scaling marine plastic solutions through human-centred design innovation
24 June 2021
With the recent G7 quickly fading into memory like a sandcastle washed away by the Cornish tide, the legacy of the decisions taken after a tumultuous 18-months will be longfelt and widespread.
Working groups like the W7 brought together feminist organisations and women’s rights advocacy groups to ensure a lasting and tangible impact for women and girls.
Challenge Works’ Director of International Development, Constance Agyeman, has been exploring how human-centred design can help empower women particularly in relation to reducing marine plastic pollution in her new article on GreenBiz.
Demand for plastic has substantially increased in sub-Saharan Africa and is projected to grow further – one estimate indicates a growth of 375%. In this scenario, Sub-Saharan Africa would be the dominant region globally in terms of total waste generation.
Solutions to this challenge are going to be complex and will need to include a strong behaviour change component, and ensure that the recycling infrastructure meets this growing demand.
Human-centred design means following an innovation process that involves talking and working with those on the frontline of the problem. So as we launch innovation programmes seeking out the most effective solutions to scale and replicate, we mustn’t overlook the community of women entrepreneurs already engaged in the issue.
Read the full article and find out more about the impact human-centred design in innovation can have for women in Africa whilst tackling marine plastic pollution on GreenBiz.