A sea turtle which died after ingesting huge amounts of plastic has been the genesis for an invention to help remove plastics from the world's oceans.

The Pacific Collective is the brainchild of Coffs Harbour-based environmental scientist and zoologist Louise Hardman.

It includes a 'Shruder' machine to shred and extrude waste plastic which can be turned into products such as filament wire for computers.

The concept has won Ms Hardman the Coffs Coast StartUp Challenge 2017.

It will empower small communities to turn waste plastic into resources.

"The Shruder is a light and mobile so it can be transported around different areas, specifically the Pacific Islands and places that do not have waste resource management," Ms Hardman said.

It includes an education package which teaches people the chemistry of plastics and how to process them.

Waste plastics such as one-use household items and also marine debris can be transformed into practical items for other purposes.

A six-step program takes people through the collection method, how to sort plastics, shredding, designing, re-moulding and then selling.

Ms Hardman said part of the training included finding out what products places such as the Pacific Islands needed and then helping them design moulds for the shredded plastic.

A display showing the number of single-use plastics used to fill a takeaway food container with shredded material. Coffs Harbour, June 18, 2017. ( Shredded product made by Louise Hardman's 'Shruder' from single-use plastics, Coffs Harbour, June 18, 2017. )

She said the waste plastic could be transformed into building or landscaping materials, bowls and matting.

In Australia the major interest at the moment is for 3-D printer filament, reusable coffee cups and boutique items for resorts.

Ms Hardman said in 1993 she was asked to help a marine turtle that had washed ashore into the Wooli River in 1992.

After three days it died and a necropsy found it was full of plastic.

"In the 25 years since then my motivation has been to try and find a way to keep plastic out of the ocean," she said.

"The plastics that killed the turtle were found in the seagrass in one of the most pristine rivers on Australia's East Coast.

"Since then I've just always thought that I have to stop plastics going into the ocean one way or another.

"Now I've finally come up with my solution to do this — The Shruder.

"The amount of debris and plastic that's in the ocean is quite alarming and I think we really need to turn this around and do something about it."

Louise Hardman's Shruder machine prototype. Coffs Harbour, 2017. ( ABC Coffs Coast: Helen Merkell )

One of the StartUp Challenge judges, Mark Wolf CEO of multi-national company Greenspan Technology, said the Shruder ticked all the boxes.

"There was a problem, a solution was found and the solution works," Mr Wolf said.

"The solution has far-reaching benefits for developing nations as well as Australia and other countries in helping solve the problems relating to plastics.

"The machinery consumes waste plastic and turns it into something useable.

"We're an innovative mob here in Coffs Harbour and working to develop a 'clever economy'.

He said the city could attract quality people to the region but innovative businesses were needed to do so.

"The countries that are the most innovative are the ones that prosper. That's why the United States does so well because they encourage innovation," he said,

Ms Hardman said winning the StartUp Challenge would give the project more impetus.

"It will help fund the business ideas that I have, I also get 12 months of Business support.

"I will also be eligible to go to a major StartUp Conference in Sydney later in the year where I can pitch my idea again.

She said she is hoping to find seed investors to help fund the project which has already generated interest from 11 different countries in just 9 months.