“Investing in sustainable solutions is the most effective way to combat ocean plastic pollution. Charitable initiatives alone are not enough. We must put capitalism at the service of a cleaner and healthier future. We need financial incentives that drive exponential progress.” This is the mantra of Anssi Mikola, CEO of RiverRecycle.
The Finnish company has invented a technology, currently in the patenting phase, to efficiently remove plastic from rivers before it reaches the sea. The collected waste is then sorted for reuse, recycling or appropriate disposal.
Founded in Helsinki in 2019, RiverRecycle adopts not only a technological but also a social approach. Each intervention starts with a preliminary analysis and feasibility study to assess the watercourse, its morphology, the amount of floating plastic, seasonal flow variations and the characteristics of surrounding communities. Floating waste collection systems are then installed, managed in collaboration with local populations and sorting and recycling processes are organised.
Using recovered plastic, the company launched its first product: RiverRecycle boards, construction panels that can be used both outdoors (benches, fencing, signs) and indoors (walls, flooring, furniture).
From Indonesia to India, from the Philippines to Bangladesh, RiverRecycle is progressively expanding its operations, developing collection centres, boosting local employment and offering new economic opportunities to communities that currently rely on informal waste management work.
Name:
RiverRecycle
Website:
Sector:
Plastic recycling
Pros:
Upcycling plastic waste collected from rivers
Features:
Technology that efficiently removes waste from rivers
Cover: Envato image