The European Recycling Platform (ERP) is calling on Irish start-ups to compete against their European neighbours in the 2018 Green Alley Awards.

Sponsored by ERP, Ireland’s only pan-European compliance scheme for WEEE and Waste Battery compliance, the Green Alley Awards are Europe’s first start-up awards scheme for the circular economy opening-up the opportunity to showcase their businesses in Europe. The winner of the Green Alley Award receives a cash prize of €25,000.

The 2018 Green Alley Awards is aimed at all start-ups and entrepreneurs who have developed a business model in the areas of digital circular economy, recycling and waste prevention.

Interested start-ups across Europe can submit their entries by July 1, 2018 and six finalists will be notified in early September. The finalists are then invited to Berlin on October 18th to work on their business models in rounds of talks with Landbell Group professionals and external experts. The finalists will present their projects to an expert jury and an international audience. The jury comprises representatives from the Landbell Group as well as experts including crowdfunding pioneer, Johannes Ranscht, CEO, Seedmatch GmbH; Alexis Figeac, originator of the EU project R2Pi on Circular Economy Business Models, and Suvi Haimi, CEO and co-founder of the start-up Sulapac which won the 2017 Green Alley Award.

Martin Tobin, CEO, ERP Ireland and judge on the selection committee for the awards said: “The Green Alley Award aims to bring together the pioneers of the circular economy. We are looking for companies that are about to launch new products or services or are already in the growth phase. We also welcome start-ups who want to expand into other European markets. The sole condition is that the business idea must help recycle resources.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Irish start-ups to showcase their new environmental businesses. Winners include businesses that have come up with solutions from reducing plastics to producing eco-friendly packaging materials. The circular economy holds enormous business potential for entrepreneurs and start-ups. This can be seen in the diversity of ideas from the Green Alley Awards.

“We want to give sustainable businesses a platform to present their ideas and develop them with us. The Green Alley Awards finalists have the opportunity to exchange ideas and interact with sustainable experts at the Green Alley Awards workshops.”

In 2017, the Finnish start-up Sulapac won over the jury with a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging. The two scientists, Suvi Haimi and Laura Kyllönen, developed a packaging material made of wood that is biodegradable yet waterproof with all the advantages of plastic. The packaging is now being used primarily in the cosmetics industry. Other Green Alley innovations include: ‘Breathaboard’ from Adaptavate, a breathable and recyclable alternative to conventional plasterboard and reusable shipping packaging from the Finnish start-up RePack.

For more information visit: www.green-alley-award.com // ENDS