After receiving more than 160 applications from over 50 countries, the first international edition of the Open Call for Waste Management Startups has announced its winning startups. The final took place on June 10 as part of Foro de las Ciudades 2026, where the eight finalist startups presented their solutions to an expert jury.
🏆 Winner of Challenge 1: New solutions to optimise waste management in cities: The Recirculars
🏆 Winner of Challenge 2: New solutions to improve operational efficiency in waste sorting plants: Humara
We would like to congratulate both startups for their outstanding work and for the potential of their solutions to drive more efficient, innovative and circular waste management systems.
We would also like to recognise the high level demonstrated by the other finalist startups:
Their proposals showcase the talent and innovative capacity that currently exist to address the challenges of the circular economy and waste management.
During the event, two panel discussions were held to explore the key challenges involved in bringing innovation into real-world waste management operations.
The first discussion focused on a crucial question: what is needed for an innovative solution to be successfully implemented in a city’s waste management system? To address this topic, we were joined by representatives from local public administration and a municipal waste management organisation:
• Ignacio Lauroba, Waste Management Technician at Mancomunidad RSU Ribera Alta de Navarra
• Juan Carlos Arranz, Regional Manager for the Community of Madrid and the Region of Murcia and intrapreneur behind the Smartruck project
The second discussion focused on real implementation within waste treatment plants, where technical requirements, operational validation, integration with existing processes, scalability and engagement with decision-makers all play a key role. We were joined by:
• Jesús Martínez, Innovation and Systems Director at Trienekens
• Valentina Zurcan, Treatment Coordinator at Ecoembes
The final also featured an exceptional jury composed of:
• Carolina Viana, Coordinator of the Waste Technologies and Operational Efficiency Area at Ecoembes
• Jo Kassis, Creative Strategy Director at Kurrant
• Luis Carlos Quintero, Senior Advisor at SECOT and Entrepreneurship Mentor at Fundación Repsol
• Luis Sánchez, Technical Secretary General at ASPLARSEM
We would like to thank all participating startups, jury members, collaborators and attendees who joined us during the final event. Initiatives such as this demonstrate the key role that innovation and entrepreneurship play in accelerating the transition towards more sustainable cities.
At goCircular Radar, we support startups such as The Recirculars, Humara and the rest of the finalists, which contribute to accelerating the transition towards more sustainable, efficient and scalable waste management solutions.
Source: Open Call for Waste Management Startups – TheCircularLab.