The Green Alley Award, an annual event that celebrates startups addressing environmental issues, has announced its six finalists for this year’s competition. Over the past nine years, the award has received more than 1,600 applications from 30 countries. The six shortlisted companies will compete for a €25,000 prize, as well as receive help with planning and scaling their businesses and the opportunity to network.
The first startup is S.Lab, which produces biodegradable packaging made from hemp and mycelium. The packaging is environmentally friendly, unlike traditional plastic that can cause pollution. The founders of S.Lab, Julia Bialetska and Eugene Tomilin, were inspired by the sight of plastic pollution on a Bali beach, and worked with a Ukrainian research institute to develop their product.
Veridis is another startup that aims to address the issue of plastic waste. The company has patented a process that uses a thermal method to analyze recycled plastic, which can determine the types of plastic in the material. By creating “pure streams” of recycled plastic, Veridis makes it easier to produce high-quality products with recycled materials. The startup has locations in Amsterdam and Eindhoven and is growing its client base.
José Carlos Carvalho is developing a marketplace called Simby, which aims to match WEEE sellers with buyers globally, while ensuring the quality of the products through verification and analysis. The platform is set to launch this year and will initially target waste suppliers and buyers in Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy.
Steffen Sauer, co-founder of Ulinzi Conservation Coffee, has developed the Takatari software and mobile app, which connects waste pickers in the global south with the circular economy to alleviate poverty and plastic pollution. The platform allows pickers to digitalize their bookkeeping and connect with international recycling clients. Takatari is currently piloting a project to clean the Nile river and has attracted interest from 10 global collection initiatives.
Circulate, founded by Karolina Ling-Vannerus, uses a digital sourcing platform and marketplace that connects suppliers and buyers. The business currently links up 12 suppliers with 150 buyers, who want to buy everything from a box to mail their product in, to eco-friendly carrier bags or compostable labels.
BCome is a startup based in Barcelona that aims to help fashion brands meet reporting requirements on their supply chain’s environmental impact. The company tracks products’ eco-impact on various metrics and gives them an “eco-score”. The goal is to increase transparency in value chains and help both manufacturers and consumers make more sustainable fashion choices.
The six finalists have demonstrated creativity in sustainable solutions, and their efforts will help to preserve the planet for future generations.
