Jordisk ("Earthly" in Norwegian) is a start-up based in Norway that is developing a unique distribution platform for sustainable packaging to help businesses which need single-use food packaging to become environmentally friendly by embracing products which are recyclable, compostable and/or biodegradable. We are also a part of the accelerator Fauna: https://www.faunaeksperimentet.no/ There is an immediate need to replace traditional single use packaging that is normally based on fossil based plastics with more sustainable alternatives that already exist in the market. Food packaging is becoming a growing global concern, because of the large amount of waste it generates and the chemicals it contains that can be detrimental to our health. In 2014, out of the 258 million tons of municipal solid waste generated in the US, more than 63 percent was of packaging materials (for food and other purposes) and, overall, only 35 percent (89 million tons) was recycled or composted. What happens to the remaining 65 percent? We all know that landfills are frequently used and that a lot of waste is just burned which leaves a huge carbon footprint. The end of life alternative for food packaging can be significantly improved by using alternative eco-friendly materials that already exist and can be implemented in a circular model. The aim of our distribution platform is to be the natural marketplace for sellers of sustainable food packaging where they can showcase their products to potential buyers who need one time packaging. Moreover, ideal sellers would genuinely care about the environment and have a circular model in order to reduce the carbon footprint as much as possible. A typical customer would be a restaurant that offers takeaway. The food packaging industry operates in a very traditional way with one-to-one contracts and is mature enough for a disruption. With our platform, we can be the link and matchmaker between the supplier and customer. Our goal is to raise awareness in the industry and among consumers, so they can know about sustainable food packaging alternatives such as products that are made of bagasse, bamboo, mycelium, leaves, bio-laminat and plant-based plastic such as PLA. The timing is ideal, as we are currently seeing drastic changes in jurisdiction and lawmaking in Europe, single-use plastic cutlery, cotton buds, straws and stirrers will be banned by 2021 and the EU's Green Deal Strategy is to find sustainable alternatives to replace traditional fossil based plastic. We are currently doing market research in Norway in order to source and partner with producers that could be interested in our platform. The feedback we are getting so far are positive, as most new producers would like further traction in order to get much needed market share. We are actively looking for another person with the technical know-how that wants to join the team to develop this platform with us. Even though we live in an era of Instagram and Facebook where spreading awareness in a particular topic is easier than before, environmental pollution is still one of the most concerning issues in today’s world. We, as consumers, are either too busy to care about packaging, or there aren’t many sustainable options to choose from when buying a product. One of the founders, Rezowan, has a background from the travel industry, and has from many of his previous travels seen the growing amount of plastic going astray, both on land and at sea. In many Asian countries, he has seen that there are no good waste solutions that contribute to, for example, plastic being recycled in a circular way. Over the last 2-3 years, new technology has been developed that makes it easier to choose sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives, and the main goal is to promote environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil plastics so that society can become more aware of this.