Netherlands | Innovation
Towards Waste-Free Cities with Oscar Circular
Oscar Circulair’s aim is to solve two problems common to most cities: emissions and waste. They achieve this by employing ‘Oscars’, people who have often had difficulty finding work elsewhere, to collect waste directly from local entrepreneurs and businesses, sort it to remove valuable raw materials, and deliver it to be processed. In this way, Oscar Circulair makes the city cleaner, reduces emissions, saves raw materials and gives opportunities to people with a vulnerable position on the labor market.
Rabo Foundation and Oscar Circulair have been working together since 2021. Since then, the social enterprise has grown and started Circular Waste Collectives in Rotterdam. The growth has been made possible through collaboration with other impact financiers, which has created more jobs and more and more cities are becoming waste-free.
Oscar Circular in action
Oscar Circulair operates eight entrepreneurs' collectives in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, leading the way in transforming the commercial waste market. In 2023, they expanded with four more collectives, and in 2024, they plan to include The Hague and Utrecht. (Despite their rapid growth, customers say that their service continues to be ‘personal, helpful, and friendly’ – rewarding it with an average rating of 8.2.).
Through its effective, large-scale approach, Oscar Circulair is changing the waste systems in these cities. Its model has many admirers, with four new impact financiers joining Rabo Foundation to fund Oscar Circulair’s work, opening up routes into even more cities.
Impact on People
Oscar Circulair not only promotes a cleaner, circular city, but also creates opportunities for people. The collection team, known as ‘Oscars,’ includes individuals from diverse backgrounds and educationial levels, some of whom are in vulnerable job market positions. In 2023, 14 such individuals joined the company, gaining work experience, re-establishing a work routine, and making new social contacts. Their direct interactions with entrepreneurs during collections have led to entirely new initiatives being formed, such as the creation of 15 daycare places at the Westergasterrein in Amsterdam.
Rounds with Impact
Oscar Circulair’s collection rounds make a significant difference. They collect 18 different streams of raw materials, including paper, glass, and metal, successfully separating 66% of these valuable materials from waste, an improvement on the previous 40%. In each area they serve, Oscar Circulair’s zero-emission vehicles eliminate the need for 900–1000 by polluting vehicles that usually run on diesel. In one year, Oscar Circulair has saved 224,000 kg of CO2 – equivalent to 28 car journeys around the earth.
Visit the website of Oscar Circulair to find out more about the organization and their activities.
Or read about even more impactful organizations with whom we work together.