Chioma Ukonu, co-founder and COO of RecyclePoints has won 2nd place and a prize of US$ 200,000 at the 2017 Chivas Venture Competition. Chioma Ukonu emerged victorious after a rigorous voting and pitching process involving inspirational social entrepreneurs from 32 countries, with the grand final in Los Angeles.
RecyclePoints is enabling individuals, particularly from low-income households, to create value from their everyday waste. It operates an incentive-based model which collects recyclable waste materials from registered households, and in turn rewards them with points, which they can accumulate and redeem for cash or other useful items offered through their iRecycle Store. The company employs young ‘Wastebusters’ to ride its electric tricycles and collect door-to-door recyclable waste such as plastic bottles, aluminum cans, newspapers, or cartons. These items are then processed at the company’s Collection & Sorting Hub by unemployed women within the community, and sold on to recycling plants to use as raw materials for new products. RecyclePoints supports environmental sustainability, and engages the community to be part of the solution. With additional funds the company is hoping to expand its operations and impact, within its current city and to other states, purchasing new equipment and replicating its solution in a franchise model.
The global competition staged by Chivas Regal, was launched with a mission to find promising, up-and-coming startups that also have a positive impact on the world.