Google is building a new, online-only startup gas pedal around the elusive circular economy, according to TechCrunch. The effort is Google’s latest effort to help environmentally focused startups grow, while potentially tying them to Google’s cloud offerings in the process.
In its broadest sense, the circular economy represents a dramatic shift in the way humans make and use things. The circular economy offers an alternative to things being intentionally reused, repaired and recycled, rather than primarily by harvesting raw materials to produce goods that end up being burned, or thrown into the ocean or landfills. Overall, this is not how the world works, but the concept has gained support among experts, as well as some businesses and lawmakers, in response to humanity’s runaway waste and climate crisis.
Every year, humans consume far more than the planet can naturally replenish,” wrote Mike Werner, head of Google’s circular economy, in one of the company’s blog posts. We need to rebuild our relationship with material resources and how we make, process, use and recycle them.” He added that industries that applicants might focus on include fashion and food.
Applications for the gas pedal opened Oct. 3, local time, and will close Nov. 14. The 10-week program targets startups and nonprofits in the Asia-Pacific region and North America. The company will provide them with mentoring and technical support “through a mix of 1-on-1 and 1-on-many learning sessions,” according to Google.
