Korean tech start-up Oyster Able has recently developed three innovative solutions that reward people for recycling – Today’s Recycle, Lalaloop, and Hero8.
According to the company, while recycling is one way to protect the environment and conserve resources, it’s not always practised by many.
“Our solutions are expected to receive much attention, and we have expectations as a representative innovation of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), which is a core interest of recent corporate management,” said the company.
Today’s Recycle
Today’s Recycle is a solution that consists of an AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) recycling bin and a dedicated application. Local governments and companies can place the bins in public places such as parks, stadiums, and buildings, where users can segregate their trash, including cans, PET, or milk cartons using the app.
Users earn points as a reward for properly segregating their trash by scanning a QR code on their waste and then disposing of it in the correct bin. The points can then be used to purchase products in “Obun Shopping” and Naeil Market” pre-installed in the Today’s Recycle application.
Lalaloop
Lalaloop stands for “pleasant resource circulation”. The program was developed to encourage consumers to use reusable cups instead of disposables. Users can opt to use multi-use cups upon ordering their drink, where they pay a “deposit”, which gets refunded immediately upon returning the used cup.
Currently, Lalaloop systems are installed in Starbucks Seoul and Jeju Island in South Korea.
Hero8
Hero8 is a recycling authentication platform based on smartphone applications. According to Oyster Able, the platform creates a carbon-neutral and circular economy with a “natural cycle structure” that encourages businesses, local governments, and citizens to participate in recycling solutions by providing multiple rewards like shopping credits.
“The rapid increase of disposable products is a major stumbling block to urban resource circulation, and reuse is an essential choice in our society to move toward carbon neutrality,” explains Tae-Goan Bae, CEO Oyster Able.
“Our solution is expected to receive much attention. We have expectations as a representative innovation of ESG, a core interest of recent corporate management.”
As of last year, 350 units of Today’s Recycle have been installed in 12 major cities in Korea, including Seoul and Busan, 17 units of Lalaloop are installed in Seoul, and 26 units in Jeju Island.
