DALLAS, April 1 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — Mary Kay Inc., a leading corporate advocate of women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship, announced today the top three winners of its World Series of Innovation (WSI) Challenge in partnership with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). In its first year partnering with NFTE, Mary Kay sponsored the 2020 NFTE World Series of Innovation, a global educational experience that invites young people ages 13-24 to channel their critical thinking and problem-solving skills to find solutions for the biggest challenges facing the world today and help advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while fostering an entrepreneurial mindset.
Mary Kay’s World Series of Innovation Challenge encouraged young people from around the world to submit innovative solutions to address Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Globally, it is estimated that 80% of discarded textiles wind up in landfills. That statistic earns the clothing and textiles industry the #2 spot on the list of worst-polluting industries, second only to the petrochemical industry. For this challenge, students were asked to design a product, service or initiative that will create a “circular economy” that encourages the reuse or repurposing of uniforms and/or other used clothing, reducing waste that ends up in landfills and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing textiles.