Turning river plastic waste into sustainable business through recycling

RiverRecycle has developed a business model that reduces the amount of plastic that ends up in the sea. With Finnpartnership’s support, the company aims to address the global environmental challenge and at the same time turn it into a profitable business.
A significant proportion of plastic pollution in the oceans is carried by rivers. Around 1000 rivers in the world carry 80% of the plastic waste in rivers. On an annual basis, this amounts to around 0.8-2.7 million tonnes. The main cause of plastic waste moving to the sea, where it harms marine life, animals and threatens human health, is underdeveloped waste management at local level. Most of the plastic debris that flows into the sea comes from five countries: the Philippines, India, Malaysia, China and Indonesia.
Finnish company RiverRecycle has developed a solution to prevent marine plastic pollution at its source, in small and large rivers. The company operates in the Philippines, Indonesia, Ghana, Bangladesh and India, where it collects plastic waste from rivers using river cleaning technology developed by the company. RiverRecycle has been operating for several years in Bandung, Indonesia, where it has already collected more than 1,000 tonnes of plastic. In 2023, the company started collecting plastic waste in Manila, Philippines. Currently, it collects between 1,500 and 5,000 kilos of plastic trash every day from the Pasig River, one of the world’s biggest plastic polluting rivers.
Although the amount of plastic pollution in rivers is huge and there are no quick solutions to reduce it, RiverRecycle’s CEO Anssi Mikola says the work motivates them to move forward. “It is rewarding to meet people and be able to offer them solutions for waste collection for example in slum areas, where waste management is often inadequate. Through our work, we can influence local understanding of plastic waste’s impact on environment and how their own decisions can prevent the spread of litter.”

From plastic waste to furniture
The business model developed by RiverRecycle is not just about collecting waste. Recycling and reusing plastic waste is a key part of the company’s business. The plastic waste collected from rivers is sorted and washed. In the company’s recycling centres, the plastic is processed into small shreds that are used to make plastic boards of different thicknesses that resemble plywood boards.
The boards are pest and water resistant and have low flammability, which makes them good wall and roofing materials for the construction industry. Plastic boards offer a more sustainable alternative to wood, the use of which is being controlled in countries such as the Philippines, where deforestation has been a major problem. In addition, the plastic boards can be used to make a variety of furniture and kitchen furniture.
The recycling centre in Manila started operations in March 2024 whereas the recycling technology arrived in Jakarta in early autumn of the same year. RiverRecycle is currently negotiating with several furniture and construction companies for the sale and further development of the plastic boards. “We hope that in three years’ time, the company will be fully operational in three countries, collecting and recycling several thousands of kilos of plastic waste every day,” says Mikola.
RiverRecyle currently employs 115 people who are working at plastic waste collecting sites or the recycling centres. Finnpartnership has supported the company in starting up operations in the Philippines and Indonesia.

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