The Ukrainian waste management startup making waves is an inspiring case study for any entrepreneur aiming to align financial success with meaningful impact. When I first came across this story, I felt a deep connection as a fellow entrepreneur. Why? Because innovation in untapped industries, especially those with environmental implications, speaks to the heart of what entrepreneurship is all about, identifying problems and creating simple yet effective solutions.
Let me walk you through how this company reimagined waste, turning sorted trash into cash using a marketplace model. Beyond the practical execution, the way they’ve navigated challenges, scaled growth, and managed regulations offers many lessons for founders, particularly women juggling bootstrapped startups in Europe.
The Idea: Selling Your Trash for Cash
The startup, Recycle, operates on a simple principle: Sorted waste has value, and connecting recyclers to the source can unlock that value for everyone involved. The business model works like this: individuals, businesses, and housing associations upload details of their sorted waste (like paper, glass, or PET plastics) into the app. Certified recycling companies then bid for the waste, whichever company offers the best price wins. Sellers get paid, waste finds a new life, and when you think about it, everyone benefits.
This simplicity is what grabbed my attention. I’ve spent years bootstrapping my startups and know firsthand that overcomplication kills traction. Their model eliminates unnecessary intermediaries and uses digital infrastructure to create a transparent exchange.
Lessons for Bootstrappers
It’s easy to look at established startups with funding and feel out of the game. But as I often share on our gamepreneurship platform Fe/male Switch, nimbleness can be your power advantage. Take Recycle:
-
Focusing on Value Early
A key takeaway from their early success is their relentless focus on having real clients, not vague pilot projects with no guaranteed ROI. Founder Anton Ustimenko noted that their monthly growth of 20% was fueled by paying customers, not endless debugging for prospective partners.Even if you’re still in the ideation stage, challenge yourself: What proves users want what you’re building today? A paying customer, even one, is better momentum than serving “hypothetical markets.”
-
Lean but Strategic Expansion
Growth is always the shiny object in startup life. While Recycle plans to scale into nearby countries like Poland, they haven’t taken shortcuts when it comes to tailoring their solution to local regulations. Adjusting documentation and app features to comply with different ecological standards takes time, but smart scaling is better than scrambling through errors in a new market.I've personally seen startups, in my incubator or community, crash after premature international launches. Double down at home first, and let your foundation become your springboard.
Statistics Speak Loudly
Why waste management? The numbers don’t lie.
- Over 65% of Europe’s post-consumer plastic waste still ends up incinerated or landfilled, according to PlasticsEurope.
- Even municipal waste recycling rates across European nations average at just below 50%, reports the European Environment Agency.
This shows tremendous room for scalable impact. If more individuals and businesses approached sorted waste as an asset instead of a chore, could we discover hidden profit streams in our everyday garbage?
Here’s a parallel from my field: In 2018, I started CADChain to address a problem many dismissed, intellectual property compliance for CAD files. Those of us working in overlooked industries quietly know this: the best business ideas aren’t the flashy ones but the necessary ones. Bold founders who step into those “uncool” areas tend to build startups with real staying power.
How They Win Over Critics: Trust and Social Impact
I was particularly intrigued by Recycle’s work with Tiko, a Ukrainian fund supporting children in orphanages or palliative care. Every child deserves a chance, no matter how hard life’s circumstances are. This partnership brings sorting stations into schools, and the revenue generated goes directly to practical support, such as medicines or supplies.
Let’s not sugarcoat reality: startups can face backlash for profit-driven motives in traditionally nonprofit areas like waste. But connecting purpose with business ensures longevity. By embedding goodwill into their model, they haven't needed to fight credibility battles. Instead, their social commitment draws others in, clients, communities, and even potential regulators.
Thinking Beyond the App
Running multiple startups has taught me this: the tool you build (like Recycle’s app) is merely the entry point. What founders need to scale isn’t just an app but an ecosystem.
Here’s why: An app can only go so far if users forget about it after one transaction. What genuinely sticks is a brand users love interacting with. Long-term, Recycle could think bigger by creating education touchpoints for businesses about sustainable practices, hosting webinars with recyclers to promote their marketplace, or gamifying the process of waste sorting (a trick I know a thing or two about from Fe/male Switch!).
Starting Something Similar? Avoid These Mistakes
- Over-engineering the Product: Keep it lean at the beginning. The tool doesn’t need to cater to 12 industries from day one. Solve one pain point for one audience first.
- Ignoring Regulation Research: Whether in Europe or beyond, compliance takes longer than planned. Treat investment in legal expertise as non-negotiable.
- Underestimating Behavioral Change: Human habits are hard to shift. If your startup requires users to change, offer constant incentives (like Recycle’s cash for proper sorting) until behavior adapts.
My Message for European Female Entrepreneurs
We need more women leading startups solving unglamorous but game-changing problems. Yes, tech founders are often fintech-savvy, but what we need now are pragmatic minds thriving in traditionally male-dominated sectors, waste, blockchain, construction, logistics included. If I can offer one piece of advice: Own your unique advantage. While scale and growth remain the hustle mindset, our empathy and community-first focus as founders add value that can't be copied.
Wrapping It All Up
Marketplace models like Recycle show us the compelling upside of tying environmental problems with direct user incentives. For those of you thinking of starting something similar, remember that it doesn’t always need millions in funding to jumpstart operations. Focus on rollouts, manageable growth, and real customers before zooming to expansion or profit. And never overlook how embedding goodwill into everything connects your startup's purpose with its outcomes.
If you want to see more about how sorting trash is turned into treasure, have a look at Recycle’s story. This is exactly the type of bold, practical thinking our entrepreneurial world needs more of. I’ll personally be rooting for their next steps beyond Ukraine, and who knows, that app might hit the Netherlands next!
FAQ
1. What is the business model of the Ukrainian startup Recycle?
Recycle operates through an app-based marketplace where users (individuals, businesses, housing associations) upload details of their sorted waste. Certified recycling companies bid for the waste, and the highest bidder wins. Recycle earns commission on each transaction. Explore Recycle's innovative marketplace model
2. Which materials does Recycle focus on for recycling?
Recycle prioritizes high-value recyclable materials such as paper, PET and HDPE plastics, glass, and metal. Discover more about Recycle’s material priorities
3. Where is Recycle currently operational, and what are its expansion plans?
Recycle is currently operational in Ukraine but plans to expand into markets like Poland and Bulgaria. Regulatory adaptation is a critical step for this expansion. Learn about Recycle's expansion plans
4. How does Recycle ensure social impact in its operations?
Through partnerships like the one with TiKO, Recycle sets up sorting stations in schools and directs proceeds to support children in need, including orphans and those in palliative care. Read more about Recycle’s social initiatives
5. How fast is Recycle growing, and what is its business traction?
Recycle has over 300 active clients and grows at a rate of approximately 20% per month, with low churn rates. Check out Recycle's growth details
6. Why does Recycle focus on proper sorting at the source?
Proper sorting at the source ensures more efficient recycling, reduces post-sorting costs, and improves the quality of recyclable materials. Learn why sorting at the source matters
7. What challenges does Recycle face when expanding internationally?
International expansion requires adapting to local ecological and accounting regulations, which involves generating transaction documentation and compliance with legislative standards. Understand the regulatory challenges for Recycle
8. How does Recycle compare to traditional recycling systems?
Recycle’s marketplace model simplifies the process by connecting recyclers directly with waste generators, cutting out intermediaries and increasing transparency. Explore how Recycle innovates recycling systems
9. How does Recycle motivate users to adopt waste sorting practices?
The financial incentive of selling sorted waste to recyclers motivates users to adopt proper sorting practices. Find out how Recycle incentivizes users
10. What lessons can entrepreneurs learn from Recycle?
Key lessons include focusing on paying customers early, scaling strategically through regulatory preparation, and embedding social impact into a business model for credibility and long-term success. Get inspired by Recycle's entrepreneurial journey
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
