Trash4Goods creates a solution to increase the recycling rate in Portugal
Trash4Goods (T4G) was founded by Afonso Ravasco, Tiago Lourinho, João Trindade and Pedro Esteves and emerged within JUNITEC – Júnior Empresas of Instituto Superior Técnico. The four founders, of which only the first two remain (current CEO and CTO), had to develop a project in the area of innovation and chose to address the issue of recycling attempts in Portugal being too low», Afonso Ravasco . After working with various entities such as Sociedade Ponto Verde, ValorSul and City Councils, identify the one that would be the challenge, reminding the CEO: they were (and continue to be) deposited in the wrong recycling bins».
The young entrepreneurs looked for examples and realized that «in many Europeans, especially the Nordics, there was a system of deposits, which attributed a certain value to waste». The rewarded platform was efficient, but Afonso Ravasco reveals that he wants to «be a little more creative and try to build one that encourages users to recycle through a didactic way and with a more reward».
value and reward
According to the CEO and founder, the main objective was to bring greater «awareness to valuing people, making waste» and, as well as «stop looking at it as garbage», but rather as «raw material that can bring benefits”. T4G’s solution comprises two components: the Trash4Goods application, responsible for «all gamification», which is a «user interface», and recycling collection points. Afon Ravasco explains how it all works: «After creating an account on appso, we are left with a QR code. This code makes it possible to control with T4G collection points and, placing employees, receives points».
There are a number of “game-inspired” features such as leaderboards, challenges and achievements that users can unlock to earn more points. There is also what Afonso Ravasco calls a «model of sustainable competition», in which users compete with each other to be the ones who recycle the most in a given period of time, for example, in a month. There are also statistics so that each person can get to know better «their sustainable journey since joining Trash4Goods», he highlights.
Present and future
At the moment, the solution can handle plastics, cans, e-waste and is in operation at Instituto Superior Técnico (packaging and can) and at four Worten stores in the Lisbon region (Cascais Shopping, Oeiras Parque, Telheiras Shopping Center and Rio Sul Shopping) with a focus on electronic waste. This pilot project with the Sonae company, which will end on the 1st of October, will have as winners «the users who deliver the most electrical and electronic waste»; the prizes are «attractive – iPhone 13, Airpods and Worten cards up to 150 euros», says Afonso Ravasco. This is a «test for a future launch of the platform in retail, with an emphasis on e-waste». However, the solution “is easily expandable to other types of waste”.
On the other hand, the startup is «trying to adapt the solution to the deposit system for beverage packaging that will be compatible during this or next year» in Portugal and, thus, be present in various parts of the country.
The plans also include reaching locations soon, such as “consumption centers, events, companies and municipalities that are more interested in having an incentive system for the delivery of losses” and making “partnerships with producers of reverse vending machines” . The prospects are good, as the sustainability market and the circular economy are growing, which represents a «great opportunity for T4G». In addition, a startup will invest to «start looking around the world» and start «the expansion of the platform not only in Portugal, but in the rest of Europe and the world». Trash4Goods has three employees, but wants to increase the team. For this, it is looking for professionals in the areas of «computer engineering, data science, mobile development, web design, marketing and operations», according to Afonso Ravasco.