Advancing a circular, regenerative, and just economy.
About
The PreCycle Innovation Challenge is a virtual pitch competition for the best product, service, or idea that addresses waste reduction or prevention (or even creative reuse) in Washington. This program is hosted by Seattle Good Business Network and Zero Waste WA, with partial funding from the WA State Department of Ecology.
This competition is open to Pacific Northwest for-profit or non-profit businesses, individuals, and student teams seeking to advance Washington’s circular, regenerative, and just economy. A circular economy is one that seeks to minimize the use of raw materials, extend the lifespans of materials, and prevent waste from going in our landfills.
Teams will participate and compete in two tracks: idea-stage and development-stage startups. The 6-week virtual program includes developmental and technical workshops, mentoring, networking, and culminates in an Innovation Summit.
The online event will highlight presentations of existing Washington innovations and include pitches by the top finalists. Winning teams will receive cash prizes. All teams will be offered support post-event to carry their ideas forward.
2022 PreCycle Innovation Challenge Waste Prevention and Circular Economy Innovation Summit
Monday, May 23, 11 am to 3 pm PT (Online)
This event highlighted presentations from practitioners and innovators in the Washington circular economy ecosystem, panel discussions with public sector leaders on circular economy initiatives at a state level, and featured pitches from our top finalists in the PreCycle Innovation Challenge. Winning pitches were announced and awarded cash prizes.
Judging Criteria
A panel of professionals, practitioners, and industry experts will judge applications based on the following criteria:
Waste streams and Environmental impact. How well the idea designs solutions for material streams that pose a prominent waste challenge in Washington State (e.g., 'waste' streams like textiles, glass, plastics, paper, metal, food waste, mattresses, etc.). Potential volume of material waste reduced or prevented by the solution will be considered. Ideas that show viable metrics around environmental impact will receive more points (e.g., measurable reductions in carbon emissions, water usage, pollution and/or toxic chemicals and emissions).
Feasibility and Path to success. How clearly the proposal (one-pager and video pitch) outlines the problem, market fit, and a roadmap to gain market share, and demonstrates an understanding of how to build product or service that provides a solution, and basic financials.
Social impact. To what extend the product or service will have a positive impact on or will address diversity and be accessible (e.g., geographically, financially, culturally, physically, or cognitively, etc.) by historically under-resourced individuals and communities (BIPOC, refugee, immigrant, low-income, etc.) or rural populations.
Scalability. How well the idea demonstrates the ability to scale or be replicated across the region.
Innovation. How well the idea takes a new approach or improves upon previous technologies or services or tackles a problem from a new perspective or in a new geography.
Why PreCycle?
PreCycle is derived from a vision to generate and support ideas that help us, as a society, to rethink the way we interact with materials as consumers and within our ecological limits.
PreCycle is an emphasis on waste prevention, reduction, and then waste solutions that are activated before recycling, and landfill, and speaks to the many ways we can reinvent how we manage our waste as a community.
The PreCycle Innovation Challenge is just one effort, in a constellation of state-wide initiatives, working to advance our region’s transition to a circular economy.
Our partner circular accelerator NextCycle Washington, was developed by King County, is a statewide initiative supporting businesses, community-based organizations and individuals working to expand the circular economy in Washington State.
PreCycle is designed as a feeder program for other accelerators like NextCycle WA, which also designed to support promising circular businesses and projects.
Background
Two Washington state nonprofits, Seattle Good Business Network and Zero Waste Washington, came together to merge their programming in order to collaboratively advance Washington’s transition to a more circular, regenerative and just economy, by providing an inclusive opportunity for individuals, students, and entrepreneurs to innovate product or service ideas addressing waste reduction, recycling, food waste prevention, composting, contamination reduction, and litter control.
Check out the 2020 Zero Waste Hackathon event and student participants here, and the 2021 Circular Innovation Challenge recorded event and business finalist teams here.
FAQs
Who can participate in the PreCycle Innovation Challenge?
Applications are open to all students, businesses, non-profits, and startups in the Pacific Northwest. All ideas being presented must address material streams generated in Washington State.
What kind of support will teams be getting throughout the program?
Teams are matched up with dedicated mentors, have access to a hub of other experts, and will be given access to a suite of workshops and presentations by subject matter experts and practitioners to help develop their ideas, business plans, and final pitches for the event. We’ll also be working to sustain these networks of support post-program and event to ensure all the participants have access to each other and the broader community.
When does the program start?
The Program beings 3/24 and will last 6+ weeks until deliverables are due on 5/3. Teams will be introduced to their mentors during the first week of the program. The first 3 weeks the program will consist of workshops. Last 2+ weeks will be open for mentoring, networking, and work on deliverables: 3-min videos and two-pagers.
Who do I contact for partnering or sponsorship?
You can visit our Get Involved page or reach out to xenia[at]zerowastewashington.org or sydney[at]seattlegood.org
Is this an annually recurring program?
Yes! Hosting organizations have hosted their circular challenges in the past, and launched the first collaborative effort in 2022.
How is Precycle different from NextCycle?
PreCycle is a PNW-wide, annual pitch competition for early stage business startups to help develop and refine their waste prevention and solution ideas through the short-term program’s mentorship, coaches, workshops, which culminates in a final event where awards are given out to top teams.
NextCycle WA is an ongoing program led by King County and RRS to develop comprehensive resources, grant opportunities, and more to help support both small and large-scale businesses advance their circular business ideas and products.