Live Circular is very proud to be supporting and partnering with Europe’s only start-up competition focused on the circular economy! The Green Alley Award 2015 is searching for great green business ideas to improve the waste and recycling industry. Start-ups and entrepreneurs across Europe can apply until 15th September!
Connecting Green Ideas from Berlin to London
UK ‘tech for good’ accelerator Bethnal Green Ventures and the European Recycling Platform (ERP) UK have teamed up with Berlin based green economy investor Green Alley and Germany’s leading crowdfunding platform Seedmatch to bring Europe’s first circular economy focused start-up competition to the UK. The Green Alley Award initiated in 2014 recognizes start-ups and entrepreneurs who contribute to building a circular economy and to improving the waste and recycling industry as we know it today. Start-ups and entrepreneurs from across Europe with a business idea related to turning waste into a resource are invited to apply until 15th September.
By taking part in the contest entrepreneurs will profit from a network of green economy experts and valuable new business contacts. “The Green Alley Award will be a great opportunity for UK green economy start-ups not only to benefit from know-how in the German market but also to boost their business across Europe”, says Scott Butler, Regional Director UK and Ireland at European Recycling Platform (ERP).
The broad alliance of partners from UK and Germany aims to link the leading start-up cities of London and Berlin. “We want to connect start-ups and entrepreneurs with great green ideas. We believe that linking London’s well established successful entrepreneurial ecosystem with Berlin’s rapidly growing young start-up scene creates high potential for significant innovation in Europe”, says Jan Patrick Schulz, CEO of Green Alley Investment GmbH and initiator of the Green Alley Award.
This new award for entrepreneurs will contribute to creating a greater awareness of recycling, and also hopes to empower people and our economy to act more sustainably. Glen Mehn, Partner at Bethnal Green Ventures about the significance of the award: “It’s critically important that we find new ways to make better use of existing resources, with a particular focus on the post-consumer stream. If we want to tackle our environmental problems we have to find innovative products and services that fundamentally change the nature of recycling, generate less waste and make a better planet. That’s why we support the Green Alley Award 2015.”
All competition finalists will be invited to Berlin on the 4th November to participate in a one-day event with great networking and learning opportunities. In individual workshops the start-ups will learn how to start, finance and boost a green business. All finalists are expected to pitch their business idea to an expert jury who will then select the winner of the Green Alley Award 2015. The winner receives a package of prize money and other additional benefits worth up to 14.470 pounds as well as the opportunity to pitch for an investment or crowdfunding.
Start-ups, business ideas or projects eligible for the contest should contribute to the circular economy by:
- reducing, reusing or recycling industrial or consumer waste streams such as packaging waste, WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment), batteries, used photovoltaic modules, commercial and industrial waste, plastics etc.
- replacing non-renewable resources with recycled or fully recyclable material
- repairing and refurbishing, as well as extending the lifecycle of products
- improving the reuse and recyclability of products and materials
- improving product design and considering environmental impact during the whole product lifecycle
- closing the materials loop through recycling and refurbishing
- raising awareness of recycling and sustainability through new services, products or technologies
- strengthening producer responsibility and compliance with European waste regulations
The key aim of the award is to foster innovation in the green and circular economy by connecting the leading European start-up cities of London and Berlin. Scott Butler, Regional Director UK and Ireland at European Recycling Platform (ERP), says: “Even beyond the cliché of Berlin’s creativity versus London’s capital, entrepreneurs across Europe will profit from this symbiosis. Moreover, we at ERP are convinced that the whole recycling industry including our members can capitalize on green start-up innovations.”
Live Circular Co-Founder Reiss Salustro included: “In a world of finite resources it has become imperative that today’s current and upcoming businesses focus and drive toward becoming resource efficient and actively harness technology and education to instil circular economy principles at the core of their operations. The Green Alley Award offers a tangible and exciting opportunity for driven eco-entrepreneurs to learn from industry professionals whilst promote and grow real solutions, that will make the world a better place on a global scale. We look forward to supporting such a great initiative.”
To learn more about the Green Alley Award 2015, visit www.green-alley-award.com
Timeline Green Alley Award 2015
15th June: Launch of the Green Alley Awards 2015
15th September: Application deadline
15th October: Finalists announced
4th November: Workshop, pitch event and award ceremony in Berlin
Press contact Green Alley
DWR eco GmbH
Tel: +49 30 609819504
greenalley@dwr-eco.com
