Dezeen is partnering with Rossana Orlandi to challenge designers to develop new ways of recycling and reusing plastic with the Ro Plastic Prize.
Now open for entries, the competition forms part of Orlandi's GuiltlessPlastic initiative, which exists to champion the responsible use of the material.
Dezeen revealed that Orlandi, who is one of the world's most influential curators, was launching the prize during Milan design week last year, and Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs will be on the prize jury.
"Ro Plastic Prize wishes to unite the design community in the challenge to move beyond plastic pollution as we know it, and to promote the next generation of design," reads the competition brief.
The Ro Plastic Prize forms part of Rossana Orlandi's Guiltless Plastic initiative, which was launched last year "Reusing, recycling and reinventing are the challenges that this prize wishes to bring to the global design community," it states.
"When transformed, plastic can become a resource with vast possibilities and potentials."
Prize launched amid growing concern for plastic pollution 
The prize comes amid growing concern and awareness over the environmental problems caused by plastic.
Since its invention in the 1800s, over eight billion tons of plastic has been produced globally, with more than 50 per cent of it being discarded or incinerated, threatening land and marine ecosystems.
Orlandi hopes that the contest will become part of the solu...