About
Designed for our clients
KOLEKT has been designed with both informal waste collectors and large consumer goods companies in mind, with the aim of making the buying and selling of recyclable waste materials easier and more profitable for those at the front line.
International experience since 2012
KOLEKT was developed by BVRio. Founded in 2011, BVRio is a not-for-profit organisation working at the intersection of economic, environmental and social sustainability. BVRio was originally created with the objective of developing market mechanisms to facilitate compliance with Brazilian environmental laws. The models and approaches developed there, have now been adapted to develop market mechanisms, economic tools, and support the development and implementation of public policy in different countries and regions worldwide. BVRio’s vision is to deliver positive impacts for the economy, environment and people.
Here to help the informal sector
KOLEKT came to life through extensive face-to-face meetings with over 200 waste pickers, collection centres and recyclers in India, Vietnam, Brazil and Indonesia. They helped design an app which is simple to use with no unnecessary features and text. It features icons, images and maps to meet the needs of different language users and literacy levels. The app can do basic tasks without an internet connection, and has been designed for smartphones and for use by people using old mobile phones or no phone at all. To support informal sector waste collectors, we have made it possible to cash-out any money within KOLEKT via local ATM machines, a service which is being piloted in Vietnam currently.
With certification & compliance in mind
KOLEKT transactions are safe and verifiable, and comply with the fraud prevention and auditing requirements of multinational consumer goods companies aiming to reduce their waste footprint. It enables monitoring and full traceability of waste materials along the supply chain, facilitating the process of independent verification and certification of impacts.
KOLEKT began trials in Indonesia in May 2021, before being rolled out to Brazil, India, Vietnam and the UK, and will continue to be rolled-out to other countries in line with demand.