Minderoo Foundation No Plastic Waste Initiative

Enriched Foundation · Found: 2026-03-11 13:05

Aims to eradicate plastic leakage to ecosystems and achieve 50% plastic economy circularity. Drives Polymer Premium concept and Plastic Waste Makers Index. Strategic partnerships and investments in scalable solutions.

Source: https://www.minderoo.org/resources/changing-plastic-for-good

Funding Details

Funder

Minderoo Foundation

Funding Goal

Support early and growth-stage companies developing upstream sustainable material alternatives to conventional plastics, addressing root causes like scalability, cost, and chemical safety.

Funding Amount

Not disclosed. Investment through Minderoo's Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) with co-investors and strategic partners.

How to Apply

Contact Minderoo Foundation directly via email at mbrunner@minderoo.org to express interest. No formal application portal or published deadline — rolling intake based on fit with investment thesis.

Target Region

Global

Contact

mbrunner@minderoo.org | +61 8 6460 4949 | PO Box 3155, Broadway Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:30

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be an early-stage or growth-stage business (company), not an NGO or non-profit

Project Scope

• Project must address upstream solutions — developing or scaling sustainable material alternatives (not recycling or waste management)
• Project must fall into one of the investment sectors: non-plastic substitutes, bio-based/biodegradable polymers, safe additives/fillers, biorefineries, or enabling technologies

Required Documents

• Contact mbrunner@minderoo.org to initiate a conversation about fit with the investment thesis

Constraints

• Downstream solutions (recycling, waste management, end-of-life treatment of conventional plastics) are explicitly excluded
• No fixed deadline — applications reviewed on a rolling basis

Summary

Minderoo Foundation's "Changing Plastic for Good" initiative is a strategic investment program that backs early and growth-stage businesses developing safe, sustainable alternatives to fossil-fuel-derived plastics. The program deploys capital through Minderoo's Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) and a co-investor network, targeting upstream solutions in areas including bio-based and biodegradable polymers (e.g., PHAs), non-plastic substitutes (e.g., moulded fibre, paper-based packaging), safe additives and fillers, biorefineries, and enabling technologies like barrier coatings. The initiative also funds scientific research to overcome technical barriers, generates data-driven insights and publications to guide policy and innovation, and advocates for stronger plastics regulation including the Global Plastics Treaty. Minderoo is an Australian philanthropic foundation with global scope. Critically, the program explicitly excludes downstream solutions: recycling, waste management, and end-of-life treatment of conventional plastics are not eligible. The focus is entirely on replacing or improving plastics before they reach the market and environment, not on managing plastic waste after the fact. Interested parties apply by contacting Minderoo directly via email. There is no public grant application cycle or fixed deadline — the program operates on a rolling basis aligned with investment pipeline development.

Historical Context

Minderoo Foundation is an established Australian philanthropy. The initiative previously published the Plastic Waste Makers Index and has been involved in Global Plastics Treaty negotiations. No information on prior funding rounds or annual cycle is provided on this page.

Why it was added

Major foundation initiative targeting 50% plastic circularity with strategic partnerships

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