{{Short description|Finnish evironmental technology company}} {{Multiple issues| {{Orphan|date=December 2025}} {{notability|date=July 2025}} }}
'''RiverRecycle''' is a Finnish environmental technology company founded in Helsinki in 2019, focused on removing plastic pollution from rivers globally and converting collected plastics waste into recycled products through community-based circular economy models.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=RiverRecycle collects 4 million kilos of plastic waste globally |url=https://www.goodnewsfinland.com/en/articles/breaking-news/2024/rivercycle-finland-plastic/ |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=www.goodnewsfinland.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=RiverRecycle: Transforming River Cleaning and Plastic Waste Management {{!}} Knowledge Hub {{!}} Circle Economy Foundation |url=https://knowledge-hub.circle-lab.com/article/24070?n=RiverRecycle-Transforming-River-Cleaning-and-Plastic-Waste-Management |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=knowledge-hub.circle-lab.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-14 |title=RiverRecycle – Impact at Sea and on Land |url=https://yyo.fi/en/news-en/riverrecycle-impact-at-sea-and-on-land/ |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=Yhteiskunnallisten yritysten osaamiskeskus |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=EU - Startups |url=https://www.eu-startups.com/directory/riverrecycle/ |website=EU - Startups}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=avpn |url=https://avpn.asia/organisation/riverrecycle/}}</ref>
== Objectives ==
* Intercept river-borne plastic waste before it reaches oceans.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-08-27 |title=Packaging firm Huhtamaki partners RiverRecycle and VTT to tackle floating river waste in India |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/packaging-firm-huhtamaki-partners-riverrecycle-and-vtt-to-tackle-floating-river-waste-in-india/articleshow/85680467.cms |access-date=2025-07-13 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref> * Provide local employment opportunities and support community-based waste management systems.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=SMEPSite |title=How the Ghana Clean-up Project is supporting SMEP's Social Value Model through tackling plastic pollution – SMEP |url=https://smepprogramme.org/how-the-ghana-clean-up-project-is-supporting-smeps-social-value-model-through-tackling-plastic-pollution/ |access-date=2025-07-13 |language=en-US}}</ref> * Reinforce a circular economy by turning low-value plastics into value-added products like recycled boards and PET bales.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nastatos |first=Alexia |date=2023-10-02 |title=RiverRecycle Oy |url=https://ippin.org/riverrecycle-oy/ |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=Indo-Pacific Plastics Innovation Network |language=en-AU}}</ref>
== History and expansion ==
* 2019: Company founded in Helsinki.<ref name=":1" /> * Rapid expansion into India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Philippines, and Ghana, with 11–19 operational sites and dozens more in development.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=RiverRecycle to implement the largest river plastic recycling operation in the world {{!}} Riverrecycle Oy |url=https://www.sttinfo.fi/tiedote/70147883/riverrecycle-to-implement-the-largest-river-plastic-recycling-operation-in-the-world?publisherId=69818725&lang=en |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=www.sttinfo.fi |language=fi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Group |first=Clean Planet |date=2021-07-29 |title=Riverrecycle partners with Clean Planet Energy in Southeast Asia |url=https://www.cleanplanet.com/post/riverrecycle-partners-with-clean-planet-energy-in-southeast-asia |access-date=2025-07-16 |website=Clean Planet Group |language=en}}</ref> * By 2024, over 4 million kg of plastic was collected globally.<ref name=":1" />
== Products and Business Model ==
* RiverRecycle Boards: durable boards made from low-value plastic, suitable for construction or furniture.<ref name=":1" /> * PET bales: collected and processed PET sold internationally.<ref name=":0" /> * Plastic credit mechanism: generating revenue via certified plastic collection credits to fund operations.<ref name=":0" />
== Impact and Achievements ==
* Over 4 million kg of river plastic collected as of 2024.<ref name=":1" /> * In Ghana’s Kpeshie Lagoon region: ** 3 collection sites intercepting about 24 tones/year of floating plastic.<ref name=":1" /> ** Capacity to recycle 330 tones of low-value plastic + 360 tones of PET bottles annually.<ref name=":1" /> ** Creation of 50 formal jobs and engagement of 200 informal waste pickers.<ref name=":1" /> * Employment generation: approximately 15–50 local jobs per project + incomes for waste pickers.<ref name=":1" /> * Recognized by the Finland Green Product Award for sustainable river cleaning strategies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RiverRecycle |url=https://www.gp-award.com/en/produkte/riverrecyle |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=www.gp-award.com |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:Finnish companies established in 2019 Category:Waste management companies of Finland