§1972 — Title 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters | U.S. Code

Summary

Within 1 year after December 18, 2020, the Secretary must set up a prize competition under section 3719 of title 15 to spur new technology that cuts plastic waste and pollution and keeps trash out of the ocean. The competition will award one or more prizes every two years. It covers five project types, such as ocean‑safe biodegradable materials, smarter production and packaging that use less new material and more recycled or reusable content, better debris detection and cleanup, improved waste collection and recycling, and ways to cut packaging needs and boost reuse. The prize must be called the "Genius Prize for Save Our Seas Innovations." Projects that get priority must include a plan to bring the idea to market, support a circular economy, and help develop materials that fully degrade in the ocean without harming the environment, wildlife, or human health — especially for fishing gear or other items likely to become marine waste.

Title 33, §1972

Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Not later than 1 year after December 18, 2020, the Secretary shall establish under section 3719 of title 15 a prize competition—

(A)to encourage technological innovation with the potential to reduce plastic waste, and associated and potential pollution, and thereby prevent marine debris; and

(B)to award 1 or more prizes biennially for projects that advance human understanding and innovation in removing and preventing plastic waste, in one of the categories described in paragraph (2).

(2)The categories for projects are:

(A)Advancements in materials used in packaging and other products that, if such products enter the coastal or ocean environment, will fully degrade without harming the environment, wildlife, or human health.

(B)Innovations in production and packaging design that reduce the use of raw materials, increase recycled content, encourage reusability and recyclability, and promote a circular economy.

(C)Improvements in marine debris detection, monitoring, and cleanup technologies and processes.

(D)Improvements or improved strategies to increase solid waste collection, processing, sorting, recycling, or reuse.

(E)New designs or strategies to reduce overall packaging needs and promote reuse.

(b)The prize competition established under subsection (a) shall be known as the “Genius Prize for Save Our Seas Innovations”.

(c)In selecting awards for the prize competition, priority shall be given to projects that—

(1)have a strategy, submitted with the application or proposal, to move the new technology, process, design, material, or other product supported by the prize to market-scale deployment;

(2)support the concept of a circular economy; and

(3)promote development of materials that—

(A)can fully degrade in the ocean without harming the environment, wildlife, or human health; and

(B)are to be used in fishing gear or other maritime products that have an increased likelihood of entering the coastal or ocean environment as unintentional waste.

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 4232 of this title prior to renumbering by Pub. L. 119–65.

§1972 Genius Prize for Save Our Seas Innovations

Summary

Title 33, §1972

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