As the world continues to grapple with the numerous environmental challenges caused by widespread pollution and waste, several European startups are working on innovative solutions to reinvent difficult-to-recycle items.They are part of the 2023 cohort for Green Alley Award, an esteemed prize that recognizes Europe’s most outstanding circular startups that aim to shift to a circular economy model and reduce waste.
Human Maple from Italy, which started out as an education and awareness project that aimed to foster a more caring relationship between humankind and nature, is now tackling one of the world’s most visible impacts of throwaway culture: cigarette ends. The company aims to repurpose cigarette filters, made from cellulose acetate, by turning them into insulating padding for jackets and bedding. “We’ve all seen them (cigarette butts) discarded carelessly on pavements and lying in gutters. By some estimates, they hang around for over a decade, leaching microplastics and harmful chemicals such as arsenic, lead, and formaldehyde as they slowly degrade,” says the company’s founder, Ali Benkouhail.
S.Lab, a startup from Ukraine, was forced to relocate to Spain when Russia invaded their homeland. Rarely recycled, expanded polystyrene, of which annual global output is 11m tonnes, has become one of the most common ocean pollutants. Compelled by the heartbreaking sight of Bali’s beaches strewn with polystyrene and other plastics, S.Lab’s creators, Julia Bialetska and Eugene Tomilin, found an alternative in a mixture of waste hemp fiber and the fast-growing, root-like fungal lattice mycelium. The innovation, a 100% biodegradable polystyrene alternative, is already being used by clients such as L’Oreal keen to get ahead of forthcoming EU directives that will mandate all packaging be recyclable.
Austria-based MATЯ is working on a solution for the problem of over 13m mattresses being thrown out each year, with 60% of them winding up in landfills. Unlike many mattresses which are tangled messes of unrecyclable components stuck together, MATЯ uses just two readily recyclable materials- steel and polyester- and a special glue that makes them easy to separate. Once separated, they can be readily sent for recycling, making them over 99% recyclable and having a 50% lower carbon footprint than their conventional counterparts.
The Green Alley Award is now taking applications for its 2024 prize, which comes with a top prize of €25,000. Whether it’s recycling cigarette butts or using compostable materials for packaging, these startups may inspire others to look for innovative ways to reduce waste and help protect the environment
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