10
years of WEEE in the UK Shaping the future Green Alley Award 2017
Sowing the seeds of a sustainable future: Green Alley Award 2017 The Green Alley Award is Europe’s first start-up competition focused on the circular economy. Launched in 2014 by Landbell Group, the parent company of European Recycling Platform (ERP), the award recognises promising business ideas that contribute to building a circular economy and improving
the waste and recycling industry as we know it today. Its aim is to find creative people with innovative ideas about how to turn green solutions into a sustainable business model.
launch innovative start-ups by offering them strategic support, networking opportunities and circular economy expertise from across Europe.
The thinking behind Green Alley
A glance at this year’s finalists shows the scope and ambition of Green Alley. From plastics to peptides, there are myriad ways we can create business opportunities that will be better for the planet.
Through the promotion of new ideas, services, products, and technologies, Green Alley wants to improve the environment by encouraging problem-solving initiatives such as turning waste into a resource. Green Alley helps to
Winner: Sulapac (www.sulapac.com) What’s the problem? Plastic waste is an extremely pressing environmental concern. According to a Green Paper by the European Commission, it’s estimated that over 100,000 tonnes of plastic is floating in the world’s oceans. This is a major issue, as plastic and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) concentrated on the surface of micro-plastics could enter the food chain. We are only beginning to understand the environmental effects of this phenomenon. How will this idea make a difference? Finnish start-up Sulapac is on a mission to create eco-friendly packaging material that’s also visually pleasing, in order to reduce the amount of plastic waste we produce. To transform the packaging industry, the company’s two founders rely on a sustainable material made of wood and natural adhesives. Sulapac’s eco-packaging exhibits plasticlike properties, but is 100% degradable. And, unlike other biodegradable packaging alternatives, it’s dense and can be safely filled with oil or water, making it a viable option for the luxury cosmetics packaging industry. 2
ERP 10 Year Report
Finalists: Mimergy (www.mimergy.com)
Sulfotools (www.sulfotools.com)
Sustonable (www.sustonable.com)
What’s the problem?
What’s the problem?
What’s the problem?
Tyres are a major problem because we have not yet developed an adequate solution for recycling them. They are not biodegradable, yet we dispose of one billion tyres globally per year, which is completely unsustainable.
Peptides, which are biochemically composed of amino acids, are often used in creams, drugs, and dietary supplements. Large amounts of solvents are used in their industrial production, some of which are harmful to the environment and human health. As a result, there are increasing calls for a more environmentally friendly alternative to the current manufacturing process.
This idea focuses on the problem of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In 2015 alone, more than 1.8 million tonnes of PET bottles were collected and recycled across Europe.
How will this idea make a difference? The Irish start-up Mimergy has developed the technology to recycle and repurpose tyres rather than discarding them. The company recognises the valuable resources contained in tyres and uses a zero-waste process to extract the biofuels, gases, and renewable carbon, among other things, from them. Innovating to extract the maximum value from waste epitomises why the Green Alley Award was established and brings to mind Jan Patrick Schulz’s quote: “We should never think, ’oh this country or waste stream is too expensive, we can’t make recycling work here’ – this is simply a failure of innovation and entrepreneurialism.”
How will this idea make a difference? Sulfotools, a spin-off start-up from Darmstadt University, wants to offer manufacturers an eco-friendly alternative with its “Clean Peptide Technology (CPT)”, which eliminates hazardous waste and reduces the cost of peptide production by up to 50%. The idea combines sustainability with a viable cost, making CPT both attractive for the pharmaceutical, chemical, and cosmetics industries, as well as the environment.
How will this idea make a difference? Dutch start-up Sustonable has developed a composite material consisting of quartz and PET that’s harder than granite and is also 100% recyclable. The product is similar in appearance to natural stone, is available in a variety of colours, and can be used in many different ways: as a kitchen worktop, for bathroom cladding, or in furniture production.
Solmove (www.solmove.com)
Newcy (www.newcy.fr)
What’s the problem?
What’s the problem?
Increasing sustainability in urban areas is a major global challenge. According to a United Nations report (2016), it is predicted that 60% of people will be living in cities by 2030 and one in every three cities will have at least half a million inhabitants. Rapidly increasing urban populations means we need to develop innovative ways to conserve and generate energy wherever possible.
Our attitude to disposable cups needs to change. The numbers spell out the problem: in France alone, 4.7 billion disposable cups end up in the rubbish bin annually. In the UK, around 2.5 billion disposable cups are used each year with countless more going to waste worldwide. The main problem is the cups are coated with a thin layer of polyethylene – a ‘small’ amount of plastic, but a massive issue when we consider the sheer quantity of these cups and the difficulty of recycling them.
How will this idea make a difference? Imagine a city where the streets provide energy, fuel our electric cars, and simultaneously generate profit. Munich-based Solmove is making this concept a reality. The start-up recognised the value of solar streets and has been working on the “Voltstreet” since 2014. Mindful of sustainability, silicon and glass are the main components of the solar street – and the glass is up to 50% recyclable. This visionary idea has the potential to transform energy management in the cities of the future.
How will this idea make a difference? We’re starting to wake up and smell the coffee! From 2020, the French will prohibit the use of all types of disposable cups. French start-up Newcy are offering consumers the opportunity to keep drinking vendingmachine coffee – with one major difference: the used cups are now thrown into a collecting machine, washed at a plant, and then reused. Newcy’s approach is a more sustainable business practice that helps to solve an international problem. ERP 10 Year Report
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