Singapore waste management initiative expands to Thailand

The Incubation Network, an impact-driven initiative based in Singapore, has teamed up with three partners in Thailand to provide early-stage startups with resources to combat the region’s emerging plastic waste economy.

Photo credit: 123rf.com

The program, which involves the launch of incubators, accelerators, and knowledge-sharing platforms for entrepreneurs, will roll out through partnerships with Seedstars, Alliance to End Plastic Waste, and Steam Platform. Together, the companies will tackle the bottlenecks that founders encounter in Thailand throughout a startup’s life cycle, with a focus on the regional plastic waste value chain.

In a bid to support the program, Singapore-incorporated ECCA Family Foundation has invested US$2 million into The Incubation Network.

Additionally, The Incubation Network will also become a member of the Thailand government’s public-private partnership for plastic and waste management, which looks to reduce marine plastic debris by at least 50% by 2027.

The deal with the Thailand government aims to create a circular economy for 100% of all plastic waste in Thailand by 2027 by focusing on infrastructure, education, innovation, policy, legislation, and data.

The Incubation Network is a partnership between innovation agency SecondMuse and nonprofit organization The Circulate Initiative.

See also: Why China’s crypto exodus is a boon for green bitcoin mining

The Incubation Network said it has helped scale over 75 startups to date, of which at least 29% have women at the helm. Some issues that the initiative highlights include the low recycling value of flexible packaging in Southeast Asia and the importance of introducing circular economy foundations to startups.