Three finalists have been revealed in the Nespresso StartCup contest, an initiative aimed at encouraging Australian startups to develop circular business ideas.
The three finalists this year are:
- Uuvipak, which has created a range of 100 per cent home-compostable and edible packaging, made from upcycled organic food waste. Uuvipak’s innovative circular model aims to reduce the impact we have on our planet and change the way we approach packaging.
- Gaia Project has created the Intelligent Crop Cultivation Module (ICCM), an innovative and unique modular cultivation method that responds to the plant’s natural growth cycle in order to significantly reduce and reuse water, while reducing energy and nutrient usage and doubling crop yield, effectively changing the way we grow produce.
- Tackle Lab’s Nogo Bin allows childcare centres to compost used nappies at scale.
Public voting in this year’s Nespresso StartCup is now open for a short time to help determine the winner ahead of a formal awards ceremony on November 3.
The first-ranked business will receive $50,000, a Nespresso Momento Small Office Starter Pack and the chance for four team members to team up and join B Lab’s Become a B Corp workshop. The two runners-up will receive $1000 cash.
Jean-Marc Dragoli, MD at Nespresso Oceania, said the quality and quantity of submissions to the inaugural Nespresso StartCup Challenge overwhelmed the judges and organisers.
“I want to congratulate and thank every startup and SME that participated,” added Dragoli.
“Each circular solution plays an important role in moving us towards our shared net zero future, and I am truly inspired by the breadth of circular innovation taking place across Australia currently. The move to net zero requires exactly that – a movement. We’re now calling on Australians who share our vision to participate by voting for their favourite circular idea.”
StartCup aims to build on the business’s 30-year dedication to sustainability and innovation by offering a platform for cutting-edge ideas, services or products that contribute to the development of Australia’s circular economy.
In the most recent Recycling Rewards experiment, Nespresso also encouraged Australians to return used capsules to Nespresso Boutiques with eco-friendly presents.
- Recommended reading: GS Caltex collaborates with Nestle to recycle plastic coffee capsules.
