Here is the link to the updated slide show.

Part 1:

1. Go back through your presentation, the Q&A, and feedback received and come up with a list of TEN takeaways / lessons learned / things to do differently next time. 
   1. Try to answer questions more directly
   2. There were times when 3 people on our team answered 1 question which was an overkill, have 1-2 people answer it well and move on
   3. Use 7 minutes wisely by defining the problem well and clearly stating what we did during fieldwork
   4. Know everything we put on our slides because that is what the referees will base their questions on.
   5. Good eye contact, hand movements, and maybe some pacing while presenting. We are not just reading off of a script, we are talking about a project we are passionate about.
   6. We should explain manufacturing a bit more as well
   7. We all should try answering more questions 
   8. Stronger outline for future plans
   9. Have a better closing statement that can stick
   10. We should sound more excited as we present, since this is our own project that we are all passionate about.

 

1. From the other presentations in your room, list FIVE things that other teams did well that you could learn from.
   1. We should be more lively as we present
   2. Some teams were able to cite sources off the top of their head so having a few numbers we memorize is helpful
   3. We have to solidify what our future plans are, what we need to get there, and what the biggest obstacles are to get there. 
   4. Other teams have much more developed cost analytical slides
   5. Some teams answered questions much more clearly than we did which is something we must improve upon.

Part 2: Coalition Slides

5 potential partnerships:

1. EcoNest
   1. Team 
2. Oikos
   1. Team
3. AlgoPlast
   1. Team
4. Jonathan Co
   1. Individual
5. Joy of Urban Farming
   1. Team

Prompt 1:

Describe at least 5 partnerships with individuals and/or organizations that have been formed to support your project and that impact the success or failure of your venture. 

For Oikos: 

1. What constituted the partnership? 
   1. Oikos was a previous connection, however, not much information was passed down from the previous team about the depth of this collaboration. However we re-contacted them for more information and with plans of a future partnership.
2. How did the partner help you? How did you help them?
   1. While in contact with them, they provided us more information on the current market of biodegradable, sustainable packaging within the Philippines.
3. Was this a symbiotic relationship? Why or why not?
   1. At its current stage, it feels like a symbiotic relationship, but we hope to develop a stronger partnership with them in the future.
4. What would help strengthen this partnership and make it more equitable?
   1. If we had a product that is easily manufactured within the Philippines based on Filipino agricultural waste, then it would solidify a partnership with them.

 

For AlgoPlast: 

1. What constituted the partnership? 
   1. While we were in the Philippines through UPD we saw a post that showed a research team at UPD and what they did. We saw what they were doing was very similar to what we do so we got in contact with them.
2.  How did the partner help you? How did you help them? 
   1. They will hopefully tell us more details about their lab process. We can help them form connections with US organizations if possible however we do not have as much leverage or funding in this deal so we have less to offer.
3.  Was this a symbiotic relationship? Why or why not? 
   1. No this is not because we give much less than what we hope to receive.
4. What would help strengthen this partnership and make it more equitable?
   1. This partnership can be further strengthened if we connect this research team to an organization in the US. We can also learn how their lab process can be scaled up to an industrial process, and hopefully help them in this process. Being helpful to them and keeping in contact with them (more communication outside of fieldwork)  is the best thing we can do for a strong partnership.

 

For Joy of Urban Farming:

1) What constituted the partnership? 

1. Joy of Urban farming works with recycling food waste. We are interested in turning bio waste into bioplastics. Joy of Urban works with local farmers, so we hope that they can put us in contact with some of the farmers. 

2) How did the partner help you? How did you help them? 

1. We hope that Joy of Urban farming can introduce us to local farmers. We will help them by providing a source that they can sell their extra agricultural waste. We also looked into whether they could supply us with banana leaves. 

3) Was this a symbiotic relationship? Why or why not? 

1. This is a symbiotic relationship because we would get agricultural waste, and the farmers would get extra funding. 

4) What would help strengthen this partnership and make it more equitable?

1. This partnership would be stronger if the farmers were interested in the process of turning agricultural waste to bioplastics. They could potentially start the process of preparing the agricultural waste, or help with transportation to a manufacturer.  

 

For Jonathan Co: 

1. What constituted the partnership? 
   1. Jonathan Co is a partner with many of Lehigh’s Philippines teams so we knew him from the Creative Inquiry Program
2. How did the partner help you? How did you help them? 
   1. We do not have a partnership with Jonathan Co yet however he works a lot in plastic and waste management. If we make a partnership with it may be to try and develop a system in which people can recycle bioplastics in a way that can be then upcycled.
3. Was this a symbiotic relationship? Why or why not? 
   1. Since his company Sentinel Upcycling has a primary goal of upcycling and actually loses money, this is symbiotic because his company’s values are upheld.
4. What would help strengthen this partnership and make it more equitable?
   1. Communication would strengthen this partnership more

 

For EcoNest

For each partnership, explain: 

1. What constituted the partnership? 
   1. EcoNest was another previous contact from the previous team, no full relationship was built with them however.
2. How did the partner help you? How did you help them? 
   1. Nikki from EcoNest helped us with more insight into the market of biodegradable packaging, as well as the issues her company faced. She recommended that we look into locally sourcing materials in order to limit cost. Additionally, she asked if we could look into grants that are available.
      
3. Was this a symbiotic relationship? Why or why not? 
   1. This is a symbiotic relationship because we both win in this partnership. As of now, we have learned more about the biodegradable market in the Philippines through EcoNest which is valuable information to us. For them, we plan to apply to some US grants which they can use in the Philippines to help them scale up further in their market.  
4. What would help strengthen this partnership and make it more equitable?
   1. We have not spoken with EcoNest as much as we would have liked to since the summer, so sending an email to them once a month on just updates would be very helpful. 

 

Prompt 2:

Provide at least 2 compelling and specific examples of how you might engage with each of the 11 types of organizations that we discussed in class.

1. Multilaterals
   1. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)- We can work with the EPR law in place in the Philippines, and as more sustainable alternatives are in the market, the more that consumers will be willing to pay for it.
   2. United Nations Environment Programm (UNEP)- we can partner with the UNEP to raise awareness on the use of sustainable materials globally, especially regions with high plastic pollution. 
2. Government
   1. Joy of Urban Farming – We will collaborate with them by buying agricultural waste from the farmers connected to this program.
   2. LGUs – we will learn what plastic bans are already in place, and hopefully work with them to make stricter sustainable laws
3. Non-Profit 
   1. GreenSpace Philippines 
   2. The Plastic Bank-an NGO that promotes ethical recycling systems in the Philippines. We can work with them and see how they can be further implemented in the Philippines, because they currently are, however the recycling system in the Philippines is flawed. 
4. Foundations 
   1.  Mother Earth Foundation Philippines- Several projects working towards sustainability, including waste cleanups and education campaigns
   2.  Ellen MacArthur Foundation- Works towards eliminating waste through design and innovation, ex. Biodegradable packaging.
5. Academia
   1. We can partner with a research team, specifically AlgoPlast in the Philippines, because they are working on a very similar project. We can learn from their lab process and what exactly they do in this field, as well as their biggest obstacles and how we can help.
   2. We work with the HEED students to help with getting work done in the Philippines while we are not there
6. Social Venture 
   1. Econest, we will work with them to manufacture bio plastics further. Their biggest issue is pricing because they important their products currently. 
   2. Oikos, another manufacturing company for biodegradable products
7. Think Tank 
   1.  The Philippines Institute for Development Studies (PIDS)-  which is the Philippine government’s main socio economic think tank. They influence policies by the government in the Philippines, so if we can push for stricter plastic bans in parts of the Philippines. 
   2. Net Zero Carbon Alliance (NZCA)- A private sector consortium that works with Philippine businesses to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and shift to renewable energy. The NZCA’s goal is to help the Philippines achieve net zero emissions by 2050. 
8. K-12 System
   1. We can work with local grade schools in the Philippines to educate the youth on plastic waste. Educating the youth on this issue can help instill a generation that is more aware of what they buy and how they dispose of their waste. 
   2. We can also work with local grade schools by engaging with teachers and administrators. Through this we hope to have them incorporate lessons on sustainable practices into their curriculum.
9. Corporation
   1. Jollibee Sustainability Division – we hope to learn more about how they implement sustainable practices 
   2. Coca-Cola Philippines – this is a large corporation that produces a lot of waste, so it would be helpful to see what sustainable practices they are willing to implement 
10. Consulting Firms
    1. PCX Markets- A fully transparent plastic credit marketplace for audited, traceable plastic waste recovery and responsible processing worldwide. 
    2. Ajinomoto- Collaborating with Ajinomoto can involve consulting on the development of biodegradable packaging solutions as well as learning from their food preservation experience and how we can create packaging with a decent self life that remains eco-friendly.
11. Startup
    1. Vincent’s Broken Rice Project – We could collaborate with Vincent because his social venture works to help get farmers loans. We could work with these farmers and potentially buy the broken rice from them.
    2. The Plastic Flamingo- a group of recyclers that turns plastic waste into building materials. If we can develop a better recycling system in which they receive more materials for their venture, which is mutually beneficial for both of our ventures, then we can solve our issue better.