Four finalists are advancing to the 1 Race 4 Oceans Impact Competition at Enactus World Cup!

1 Race 4 Oceans recognizes and mobilizes Enactus students who tackle systemic issues contributing to the global ocean crisis such as pollution, overfishing, and destruction of coastal and marine habitats. The world’s oceans represent 99% by volume of the Earth’s living space; their temperatures, chemistries, currents, and marine life drive systems that make the planet habitable for humankind. The 1 Race 4 Oceans Impact Competition is sponsored by Builders Initiative, and the winning teams will receive $25,000 USD for project scaling funding. Finalists were chosen from a field of 59 entries from 14 countries by an independent judging panel of sponsor employees, subject matter experts, and Enactus alumni.

Team projects advancing to the 1 Race 4 Oceans final round include:

• Project Leher from Enactus students at Shri Ram College of Commerce, India, which is a system to collect discarded cigarette butts, detoxify them, and mix the cleaned materials with clay to create functional terra cotta vessels. So far, the team has protected 14.9 billion liters of water and prevented 26,780 kilograms of microplastic pollutants from entering marine ecosystems. Concomitantly the team has developed a new labor force for material procurement and manufacture.

• WormPod, a biologic wastewater treatment system comprised of aquatic plants and earthworms developed by the Enactus student team at Benemérita Autonomous University of Puebla, Mexico. In this symbiotic relationship, plants support worms that consume pollutants found in wastewater. WormPod is an easy-to-install, pre-fabricated system that can be used by individuals or scaled for businesses.

• Project Mehr from the Enactus team at Hansraj College, India, through which students repurpose holy flowers in compost, natural dyes, and potpourri. Limiting this detritus from entering the ocean and other bodies of water limits eutrophication and algae blooms, both which deplete nutrients necessary for healthy aquatic ecosystems.

• SaNa, a female hygiene-focused project from Enactus students at Shivaji College in India that involves the manufacture of affordable, biodegradable, and eco-friendly menstruation pads as well as menstruation education. So far SaNa has prevented 1,000 kilograms of plastic waste, a primary marine contaminant, created 21 new businesses, and collaborated with over 15 women-based non-governmental organizations.

Please help us in congratulating these teams in their achievement and wish them best of luck when they participate in the 1 Race 4 Oceans Impact Competition at #EnactusWorldCup this October. 

World Races are just one of the ways that we work with Enactus students to fulfill our vision of creating a better, more sustainable world. In addition to 1 Race 4 Oceans, there are three additional World Races— the Race for Climate Action, the Race to Rethink Plastic, and the Race to Feed the Planet. Learn more on Enactus+. 

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