Today, the Plastic Solutions Fund (PSF) was announced as a grantee of The Audacious Project, a collaborative funding program that brings together a diverse community of changemakers to support bold ideas with the potential to change the world.
Plastic is an insidious problem that threatens so much of humanity — from our communities and our health to our climate and our ecosystems. The solutions require collaboration from all those impacted, at every level. Since 2016, the PSF has worked in collaboration with the global Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) movement to address the root causes of the plastic crisis. PSF and BFFP work to cut off plastic production, eliminate dangerous chemicals, and support vulnerable workers and communities. From local communities in East Java, Indonesia to international legal experts, PSF and BFFP have helped unite thousands of organizations around the world with a common vision of a future free from plastic pollution. The funding through the Audacious project will be a significant step forward.
Nicky Davies, executive director of the Plastic Solutions Fund, said:
“The Plastic Solutions Fund and Break Free From Plastic believe the key to solving the plastic crisis is in working with organizations at every level, across regions, and across sectors. We have been fighting, and beating, the multi-billion dollar plastics industry with people power, and the funding through The Audacious Project will be a welcome addition to this battle. From fenceline communities stopping plastics infrastructure development, to negotiating an international plastics treaty, this funding will allow us to continue connecting all those working to end plastic pollution, and challenging the status quo.
“We know how much more work there is to do to solve the plastic crisis. The movement is transforming a global system – and that requires big swings and big investments. We know we can develop systems of reuse to replace the wasteful, throwaway model imposed by plastics companies, eliminate pollution and chemicals that harm people and our earth, and ensure a just transition that supports vulnerable workers and communities. This new infusion of support from Audacious is a crucial step on this path to turning off the plastic tap.”
At a time when civil society space is shrinking around the globe, PSF is utilizing this new opportunity to learn from the movement’s successes to deliver change for those who need it most. Building on the longer term thinking as a finalist of The Audacious Project, PSF is developing a new strategic plan in concert with BFFP, looking at what’s needed going forward, what’s been most successful, where to focus and how to adapt.
Melissa Aguayo, global coordinator at Break Free From Plastic, said:
“Over the past decade, the Break Free From Plastic movement has united millions of people to demand an end to plastic pollution in our environment, in our homes, in our bodies, and in our babies. Through collective action, members have challenged corporations to take responsibility, influenced governments to adopt stronger policies, exposed the toxic chemicals in our everyday lives, driven bans on single-use plastic, and expanded solutions across the plastics chain.
“This support from The Audacious Project will deepen collaboration and accelerate the work of communities worldwide, which are already building real alternatives, from zero-waste models to reuse and refill systems. The movement’s power to drive systemic, lasting change — by reducing plastic at its source, holding corporations accountable, and building equitable solutions that benefit impacted and all communities around the world — needs everyone’s support.”
The Audacious donor community has committed a total of $1.03 billion to this year’s grantees, the largest raise to date and a significant infusion of capital into visionary ideas to shift systems and sectors. The 2025 cohort will advance medical breakthroughs and reproductive care, improve climate health, spur economic growth and strengthen education systems around the world.
Anna Verghese, executive director of The Audacious Project, an initiative of TED, said:
“The Plastic Solutions Fund and Break Free From Plastic are tackling one of the hardest problems of our time: the plastic pollution crisis. While we know that plastic pollution is a problem, few have developed the system-wide lens and grassroots power to solve it at the source. By connecting community-led efforts, working to stop the expansion of single use plastics and developing reuse-based solutions that can scale up, these organizations show us the promise of a better, cleaner future.”