Top 28 Industrial Waste Recycling startups

Updated: Jan 11, 2026
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These startups develop new industrial waste recycling technologies such as solvent recovery through distillation, advanced mechanical separation processes, zero-waste manufacturing systems, chemical recycling for plastic recovery, bioleaching for metal extraction, etc.
1
Rubicon Global
Country: USA | Funding: $501.7M
Rubicon provides affordable waste and recycling solutions for businesses seeking a smarter, sustainable alternative. Using technologies such as visual recognition and machine learning, the company conducts an initial screening of a client’s waste streams to identify types of waste and quantities, develops a waste separation system, and then tailors a waste collection schedule.
2
CarbonCure
Country: Canada | Funding: $92.4M
CarbonCure Technologies creates, develops and licenses solutions that consume waste CO2 to make better concrete.
3
Carbon Recycling International
Country: Iceland | Funding: $66.3M
Carbon Recycling International is a company that produces methanol for use as an alternative fuel source.
4
Enifer
Country: Finland | Funding: €49.2M
Enifer - transforming circular economy by-products into planet friendly protein - This is our recipe for a sustainable food system that enables healthy and tasty diets for all.
5
TerraCycle
Country: USA | Funding: $6.8M
TerraCycle is an innovative recycling company that has become a global leader in recycling hard-to-recycle waste. TerraCycle recycles non-recyclable waste into various consumer products.
6
Seramic Materials
Country: UAE
Seramic Materials produces sustainable advanced ceramics, by recycling industrial solid waste as a low-cost raw material available locally in large quantity. It also generates carbon-free value-added energy, using Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) systems, which substitute fossil fuels hence saving CO2.
7
Nexterra
Country: Canada | Funding: $40.8M
Nexterra delivers advanced gasification systems to self-generate clean, low cost heat and power using waste fuels.
8
Solarcycle
Country: USA | Funding: $36.6M
Solarcycle is a solar technology company that builds a circular economy for solar and renewables.
9
MolyWorks Materials
Country: USA | Funding: $36M
MolyWorks has developed a recycling foundry which converts metallic scrap into metal powders for additive manufacturing at the point-of-need.
10
NovoNutrients
Country: USA | Funding: $26M
NovoNutrients is working to turn waste CO2 into high-value, low-cost proteins and oils for aquaculture and beyond.
11
Eco-Tech Ceram
Country: France | Funding: €16.5M
ETC specializes in thermal storage, energetic efficiency, industrial wastes recovery high valuation and advanced materials characterization.
12
UniSieve
Country: Switzerland | Funding: $10.7M
UniSieve is a cleantech company that provides molecular separation membrane solutions for a wide range of applications. Energy carriers such as hydrogen or methane are transported and consumed in purified form.
13
IX Power Clean Water
Country: USA | Funding: $275K
IX Power Clean Water is an innovative provider of cleantech solutions designed to treat and clean industrial wastewater so that freshwater resources can be preserved for families, crops, and communities.
14
CarbonBuilt
Country: USA | Funding: $10M
CarbonBuilt enables concrete manufacturing to drive greenhouse gas reductions through the utilization of CO2 and other industrial wastes.
15
INDRA Water
Country: India | Funding: $4M
Mumbai startup INDRA Water treats wastewater and industrial effluents from textiles, chemicals, and pharma industries.
16
PHNX Materials
Country: USA | Funding: $2.5M
PHNX Materials is a manufacturing company that specializes in turning waste into essential materials and reduce carbon emissions.
17
GreeNovel
Country: Canada | Funding: $2.1M
GreeNovel stands at the forefront of electrifying the chemical industry, focusing on recycling and upgrading materials deemed non-recyclable. They offer cutting-edge, sustainable solutions to modern waste management challenges, leveraging patented technologies to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, enhance resource efficiency, and foster a circular economy.
18
ZaaK Technologies
Country: Germany | Funding: $1.1M
ZaaK Technologies is an innovation and technology development start-up company focusing on recycling industrial wastes into high value products. Using patented clean technologies, ZaaK intends to revolutionise building and construction industry with state-of-the-art technologies and high quality products produced from fly ash, a waste by-product from coal-fired power plants.
19
Rixle
Country: India | Funding: $1.1M
Rixle is a waste management and recycling company transforming how India handles industrial and institutional waste. We specialize in material recovery, EPR credits, RDF production, and textile recycling—building a circular economy through innovation, efficiency, and impact.
20
Miljoskarm
Country: Denmark
Miljoskarm has found a way to crush gigantic wind turbine blades, turning an ultra-resistant mix of fiberglass and industrial glue into barriers designed to block noise from highways and factories.
21
Melodea
Country: Israel
Melodea developed technology for the extraction and industrial production of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from wood pulp and paper production side streams. It extracts CNCs and using them to produce products like water-based adhesives, paints and coatings, or eco-friendly foams.
22
TG Companies
Country: USA | Funding: $957.9K
TG Companies makes the solar industry sustainable by providing recycling service and equipment for end-of-life solar cells and modules. The chemical concoction developed by TG Companies is used to extract silver, tin, copper, and lead from the cells, leaving behind silicon.
23
Breathe Applied Sciences
Country: India
Breathe Applied Sciences developed efficient catalysts and methodologies for the conversion of CO2 to methanol and other chemicals.
24
Re-Wind
Country: Ireland
Re-Wind Network project intends to recycle turbine blades to create urban furniture
25
UNIWASTEC
Country: Switzerland
UNIWASTEC is a technology company that operates in the field of waste-to-energy production, namely Grade 5 green hydrogen directly from wastewater, synthetic gas from municipal or industrial solid waste, and synthetic catalytic fuels from biomass.
26
Makeen Power
Country: Denmark
Makeen Power is designing and building a plant to break down materials in wind turbine blades by exposing them to extreme heat through pyrolysis.
27
CarboMat
Country: Canada
CarboMat Inc. specializes in developing an end-to-end less Green House Gas (GHG) intensive process for producing low-cost and high-value carbon fibers for multifunctional applications in the composite industries.
28
Green Recycle USA
Country: USA
At Green Recycle, we are dedicated to transforming industrial waste into valuable resources. Our innovative recycling processes and commitment to sustainability help reduce environmental impact and promote a circular economy.
  See also:
Marjana Bačić
Editor: Marjana Bačić
Marjana Bačić is a senior editor for RecyclingStartups. She has has more than 5 years experience covering the recycling industry. Marjana graduated from University of Belgrade, where she edited Recycling and Sustainable Development Journal. She has helped several non-profit organizations dedicated to promoting environmental education and sustainability. She also participates in beach clean-up initiatives and advocates for sustainable practices in local businesses. In her free time, Marjana enjoys hiking in the scenic Montenegrin countryside, practicing yoga for mindfulness, and experimenting with plant-based recipes in her kitchen. You can contact Marjana at marjanabacic(at)recyclingstartups(dot)com