Zlarin aims to put the environment first!
As Morski writes on the 15th of October, 2018, within the framework of Adriatic Plastic Challenge, the initiatives organised by the associations Terra Hub and Zona, as well as one car company, were selected as the best innovative solutions that will help to stop further injecting of plastic waste into the Adriatic sea.
In a fierce anti-plastic fight, the team "Zlarin - the island without plastics" whose vision is for Zlarin to become the very first Croatian island without any disposable plastic, won. Both originating from Zlarin, Ana, Nataša and Ivana managed to develop a model which will stop the inlet of disposable plastic onto island over the next year.
Plastic bags will be replaced by paper and canvas bags, and harmful plastic straws, cups and cutlery will also be replaced by more environmentally friendly solutions. The project is well supported by the local population and the tourist board of the island of Zlarin.
''Zlarin is an island on which about two hundred people live, making it an ideal place to try out this experiment. We've only got one supermarket and several cafes and restaurants, which significantly reduces the number of people who are needed to support our idea. The local community is giving us huge support and we can hardly wait for Zlarin to get rid of plastic,'' said Ana Robb of the winning team.
During a two-day bootcamp, the selectd teams, along with the help of mentors, turned their project solutions into business models using design thinking and lean start up methodologies, and then presented their ideas to the panel.
The second place was won by the team "Adriatic Plastic", who presented an application which actually serves as a reward system for not using disposable plastic, while third place was awarded to the "Microplastic Filter" team who presented a prototype filter that separates microplastics in washing machines.
Organisers Sandra Vlašić from the Terra Hub association and Petra Počanić from the Zona association explained what awaits the winning teams in future, and called for further and deeper cooperation.
''Although the first three teams were financially rewarded, this was a great opportunity for everyone to turn their ideas into sustainable models that are ready to get going. We've recognised the immense potential in this group and we want to continue to develop that. This is definitely just the beginning, and the Terra Hub and Zona associations will certainly follow and support all the teams on their way. Once again, we'd like to thank you for all your submissions and ideas, and we'd like to invite everyone interested to join us in putting a stop to plastic pollution.''
Click here for the original article by Hajdana Rukavina for Poslovni Dnevnik
