Footprint Invited to Join World Economic Forum's Global Innovators Community

Footprint, a sustainable technology firm specializing in materials science engineering, today announced it will become a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Innovators Community as the first company in the sustainable materials science industry to participate. The Community is an invitation-only group of the world's most promising start-ups and scale-ups that are at the forefront of technological and business model innovation.

Footprint will participate in the following three platforms and one project with the World Economic Forum:

• Shaping the Future of Advanced Manufacturing and Production ? this platform is dedicated to fostering solutions to the greatest challenges facing multiple industries and accelerating the growth of advanced manufacturing while helping stakeholders fulfil their social responsibility.
• Shaping the Future of Consumption ? this platform is creating responsible models of consumption for the benefit of business and society.
• Shaping the Future of Global Public Goods ? this platform is accelerating actions on climate change and environmental sustainability, food systems, the circular economy and value chains, and the future of international development.
• Global Plastic Action Partnership ? this project brings together governments, businesses and civil society to translate commitments into meaningful action at both the global and national levels.

"We're honored to work with the World Economic Forum to broaden global understanding of sustainable solutions available to manufacturers and producers of all sizes," said Footprint CEO Troy Swope. "Our team of engineers have created plant-based technologies and products to eliminate single-use plastic food ware and CPG products. This innovation has the power to create a healthier planet and ignite a new compostable circular economy."

Footprint has been recognized for its leading plant-based solutions and its work in preventing over 61 million pounds of plastics from entering our environment to date. Plastics pose a significant threat to the planet and human body. Only nine percent of plastic placed in the bin are recycled; the rest winds up polluting the environment ? including the ocean, rivers, lakes, landfills or in the air when it's incinerated. Footprint is working to overcome plastic's harmful chemicals by providing plant-based alternatives to single-use and short-term use plastics. These solutions are on par with plastic's performance and cost, on a per unit basis. This, combined with Footprint's ability to design, develop and manufacture products with the entire product life cycle in mind, is why the company is leading the way toward plant-based food ware globally.

"The World Economic Forum is delighted to welcome Footprint in our Global Innovators community," said Francisco Betti, Head of Advanced Manufacturing and Production at the World Economic Forum. "Including new, innovative voices is essential in the work we do at the Forum. We look forward to incorporating Footprint's expertise in our initiatives, dialogues and platforms. Footprint offers a fresh perspective to address current sustainability challenges and build resilience in these complex times, by providing sustainable, compostable materials and eliminating single-use plastic food ware."

The World Economic Forum provides the Global Innovators Community with a platform to engage with public- and private-sector leaders and to contribute new solutions to overcome current crises and build future resiliency. Global innovators are selected by the World Economic Forum and must meet specific criteria. They are at the forefront of technological and business model innovation and are invited to engage with one or more of the World Economic Forum's platforms to help define the global agenda on key issues.

About Footprint

Footprint has a clear vision: eliminate single-use and short-term use plastics. Footprint designs, develops and manufactures technologies that are biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable. We make it easy for companies to switch out of plastic to preserve our future. We love our oceans and our planet, that's why we are revolutionizing industries to eliminate plastic pollution. The company was founded by former Intel engineers Troy Swope and Yoke Chung and employs more than 1,200 people. In 2019, Footprint was announced a winner of the prestigious NextGen Cup Challenge for its Plant-based alternative manufacturing process for making cups and lids. Footprint was also named to the 2020 Fortune "Change the World" list and is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Innovators Community. Footprint has already helped eliminate over 61 million pounds of plastic. The company is based in Gilbert, Ariz. For more information and a complete portfolio of Footprint solutions visit www.footprintus.com.

About the World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. (www.weforum.org).