Minister Bruton Calls on Irish Start Ups to Compete in European Green Alley Awards
The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton, T.D. today called on Irish start-ups to enter the 2019 Green Alley Awards, Europe’s first start-up awards scheme for the circular economy.
The 2019 Green Alley Awards are sponsored by the European Recycling Platform, Ireland’s only pan-European compliance scheme for WEEE and Waste Battery compliance. The Awards are aimed at all start-ups and young entrepreneurs who have developed a business model in the areas of digital circular economy, recycling and waste prevention.
The business idea must help reduce waste or turn waste into resources. The winner of the Green Alley Award receives a cash prize of €25,000.
Minister Bruton said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for the pioneers who are seizing the enterprise opportunities in a low carbon economy. Transition to a low carbon circular economy will disrupt traditional business models and create new enterprise opportunities. The early innovators will reap rewards. Irish entrepreneurs and enterprise hubs should take up the challenge.”
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 young 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.”
Vivienne Lawlor, Communications Manager, FoodCloud said, “FoodCloud is delighted to be able to support the launch of the 2019 Green Alley Awards . The need for start-ups operating in this space has never been greater. This award helps to increase awareness of the brilliant Irish businesses operating within the circular economy and the €25,000 award fund will help them deliver greater societal and environmental impact.”
Interested start-ups across Europe can submit their entries by 25th June 2019. In September, six finalists will be selected to take part in the Green Alley Award finals. The finalists are invited to Berlin on 17th October to work on their business models in rounds of talks with circular economy practitioners and start-up experts. The finalists will present their projects to an expert jury and an international audience. The jury is made up of representatives from the Landbell Group as well as external experts including: Alexis Figeac, originator of the EU project R2Pi on circular economy business models, and Elena Dieckmann, co-founder and director of Aeropower, the 2018 Green Alley Award winner.
In 2018, Aeropowder won over the jury with their idea for insulating material for packaging made from waste feathers. In 2017, the Finish start-up Sulapac presented a wooden, biodegradable alternative to plastic packaging, and the first winner in 2014, Finnish start-up Repack, provides a reusable packaging service for online retailers to reduce packaging waste.
For more information visit: www.green-alley-award.com