Irish Startups Help Pave the Road to a Circular Economy

We have a unique opportunity to help shape the future… The state of the global climate indicates that more forceful measures are needed to reverse global warming before 2050. The Green Alley Award is looking for startup ideas to build a circular economy that significantly contributes to our climate goals.

The European Recycling Platform (ERP), Ireland‘s only pan-European compliance scheme for WEEE and Waste Battery compliance, today called on Irish startups to enter the 2023 Green Alley Awards – as it recognises the contribution and diversity of concepts from Irish participants over the past years. Since 2014, Irish startups have made it to the finals: • Votechnik in 2015, with a patented solution for safely removing the toxic elements from LCD televisions in an automated process to facilitate the work of electronic waste recyclers; • Mimergy in 2017, with a solution for waste rubber recycling, with a specific focus on production of renewable chemicals and biofuels. • EDAC reached the Top 20 in 2022, with their environmental compliance software to help various industries to track, log and manage their environmental compliance assets with a fully customizable cloud-based dashboard.

The Green Alley Awards provides a platform for Irish startups and entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses in the areas of digital circular economy, recycling, and waste prevention that are about to launch their products or services or are already in the growth phase and want to expand into other European markets. Applications will be accepted until 21st November 2022 and the winner will receive a cash prize of €25,000.

Martin Tobin, CEO, ERP Ireland said, “If we really want to be a climate-neutral continent by 2050, we have to explore not only existing but also emerging solutions to reduce global warming and circular startups are great innovators in this field. There are so many creative ideas out there and the Green Alley Awards provides the perfect platform for Irish startups to showcase their new environmental business. Whether it is the development of sustainable materials, ideas for waste reduction or helpful digital tools, the circular economy holds enormous business potential for European startups"

The Application Process

1. Startups are invited to submit their application by 21st November 2022 online at green-alley-award.com. 2. A pre-selected number of startups will be put on the Green Alley Award website for a public vote. The startup with the majority of the votes will be automatically amongst the six finalists. The remaining five will be selected by an expert committee. 3. In April 2023, the six finalists will be invited to Berlin, where they will participate in working sessions with high-ranking circular economy experts and startup mentors. In the evening each of the finalists will have the chance to pitch their idea live on stage to an expert jury and international audience. The winner of the finals will receive prize money of €25,000. At the after party there will be the opportunity for networking and making new business contacts.

About the Green Alley Award The Green Alley Award is Europe’s only startup prize specifically for the circular economy. The mission is to turn the linear into a circular economy and transform the waste and recycling industry as we know it today. The annual European prize was created in 2014 by Landbell Group, the leading supplier of global environmental services, along with Germany’s crowdfunding pioneer, Seedmatch. The Award is also supported by our media partner, Positive News, a UK based news platform. The jury is made up of experienced leaders from Landbell Group, as well as external experts including Katrin-Cécile Ziegler, Environmental Economist, Digital Expert and Tech Journalist; Martin Wright, circular economy speaker and Chair of Positive News, Anne Lamp, CEO and co-founder of the startup, traceless materials and David Oudsandji, co-founder of Voltfang and winner of the Green Alley Award 2022.For more information, visit www.green-alley-award.com.