In developing countries, the biggest challenge when it comes to recycling is the infrastructure, or lack thereof. Vietnam has opted for a top-down approach with major corporations teaming up to create an organization focused on recycling. It is a different story in Myanmar where local startup RecyGlo is hoping to improve things from the bottom up.
The firm was founded in 2017 with the aim of being the leading waste management solution platform in Southeast Asia. However, RecyGlo isn’t content with simply contributing to recycling in the region. It wants to introduce a waste management system that builds a bustling recycling culture.
Much like its neighbors in the ASEAN, Myanmar suffers from a lack of waste management infrastructure. Illegal dumping is pervasive and a lack of recycling investment has created problems, such as the continued influx of plastic into the world’s oceans.
Tackling such a massive problem helped RecyGlo grab the attention of several notable startup accelerators, including the Katapult Ocean Accelerator Program which it joined last year. The company told e27 it recently received USD 350,000 in bridge funding from an investor which will be used for service improvements and expansion.
Related: Indonesian recycling firms receive funding to combat waste
RecyGlo fights a clean fight
Getting businesses in Myanmar on board with recycling hasn’t been easy. According to RecyGlo CEO Shwe Yamin Oo, the company’s entire business model was foreign to many firms in the country and getting things up-and-running proved to be a battle.
“We are the first business targeting waste management and recycling in Yangon. There was no other successful business providing this service before us, so people thought it was very strange,” she said in an interview with the Myanmar Times. “It was really a struggle at the start. Everyone said ‘no’ to our service. People just threw everything into the same bin. When I told them to separate their trash, they didn’t like and thought they would have to pay. They thought it was weird.”
RecyGlo stuck with it and was helped during the past year by increased public awareness about environmental issues. As the public started to hold businesses accountable for their waste production and management, the firm was in the perfect position to help.
The company focuses on optimizing recycling before waste is sent to the landfill. This is done by improving in-office waste segregation, analyzing waste upon collection and then ensuring it goes to the proper facility. RecyGlo’s recycling rate is estimated to be around 98 percent.
As more companies look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and enact zero waste pledges, RecyGlo is set to play an important role in making that a reality.
