The Circular Economy is one of the major subjects currently being discussed, mainly among companies, governments, and entities - and it was precisely for this reason that the startup TriCiclos , a participant in the 2018 edition of Braskem Labs Scale , Braskem's acceleration program, won at the Davos World Economic Forum the "The Circulars 2019" award in the "DellaGood" category, one of the world's most important in circular economy.

In December 2019, in Chile, the country where the company originated, the next UN summit on climate change will feature Gonzalo Muñoz, CEO and co-founder of TriCiclos, as a COP25 champion. His role will be to advise the Chilean Minister of the Environment and chairperson of the event, Carolina Schmidt, and to participate in meetings, talks, appointments, etc. Muñoz is the first person from the private sector to take up the position, which means a lot for the Circular Economy, whose premise is the redesign of products and business models, thus being extremely dependent on the articulation with the consumption goods industry.

The company, established in 2009, was founded the goal of working to balance the three cycles (social, environmental, and financial). Currently, its parent company is divided between Chile and Brazil and already features operations in other Latin American countries, as well as being the first company outside of North America to have the "B" Certification, aiming at social and environmental development in its business model.

"Our goal is to seek solutions to reduce waste generation, carrying out a more sustainable management of the product lifecycle. That way, we can revolutionize the concept of recycling in the world," said Daniela Lerario, CEO of TriCiclos. "Being recognized in Davos means that we are on the right path, which we intend to follow," she said.

The company created and operates the points for voluntary and incentive receipt of recyclable materials, called Clean Points, which comprise collection and sorting centers for up to 20 types of materials (such as polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, and glass), which, after collection, are transported for recycling. At these sites, members of partner recycling cooperatives - service providers trained by TriCiclos - teach consumers in the correct way to dispose of each material and why this is necessary. There are eight Clean Points available in the state of São Paulo, one in Rio de Janeiro, and 70 in Chile.

" Braskem Labs aims to accelerate companies that have a positive social impact by helping people develop their ideas in search of a more sustainable world. Startups such as TriCiclos are of enormous value to improving sustainability in the plastics chain," said Luiz Gustavo Ortega, Sustainable Development Manager at Braskem.

Furthermore, TriCiclos' focus in Brazil is on B2B, seeking to help companies in reformulating their businesses, considering all processes, logistics and, mainly, developing packaging and products that are recyclable, reusable or transformed into new products. In this way, they can have a positive impact not only the chain, but on society as a whole. "We announced in November 2018 a series of initiatives in favor of the Circular Economy with the aim of engaging the chain for a sustainable cycle of production and consumption, contributing to the expansion of recycling and reinforcing our efforts in the development of new technologies and business models that favor the reuse of plastic. We were very pleased to exchange experiences with TriCiclos, joining forces in this cause," said Ortega.

Lerario, however, points out that the biggest challenge today is for the population to change their way of thinking when it comes to discarding. "We consumers have to be aware of the purchases we make, the waste we generate, and the waste process that we are used to, which is often wrong. We will only be able to improve waste generation and the contamination of the environment when each citizen becomes aware of their role in this cycle," she concluded.

Among other services, TriCiclos has its own tools that enable brands to reduce their impact through reverse logistics systems, selective sorting, environmental education programs, various models of recycling operations, advisory services and diagnostics, and relationships with waste sorting cooperatives, which take care of the social and human factor related to this activity.

About Braskem Labs Scale
Established in 2015, Braskem Labs Scale is an acceleration program for Braskem's entrepreneurs, conducted in partnership with Quintessa and focusing on contributing to startups that have positive social and environmental impacts. In their annual editions, companies with sustainable and innovative solutions in the fields of chemistry and plastics can sign up. The program has trained 50 companies, with 40% receiving investments after being mentored. In addition, its mortality rate is only 6%, below the market average.

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About Quintessa
Quintessa exists to boost growth, structure management and capture investment for impactful businesses. Founded in 2009, it works for a new way of doing business and for the success of companies that address Brazil's main social and environmental challenges. Quintessa acts directly with entrepreneurs and their teams, through tailored programs for each business, focusing on the depth of the operation, close relationships, trust, and partnerships, while committing to delivering relevant and excellent results. Over its ten years of experience, it has identified and supported prominent impactful businesses in fields such as education, health, environment, smart cities, and inclusion. Learn more here .