Trash Busters

What Trash Busters does

Trash Busters is a Seoul-based private company that operates a reusable container rental platform serving South Korean event organizers, corporate offices, cinemas, cafes, and government programs. The company supplies BPA-free polypropylene cups (sizes 11–22oz), bowls, plates, spoons, and forks, supported by a proprietary seven-step washing center (TSWC) that combines ultrasonic cleaning, high-temperature/pressure washing, hot air drying, and UV-C sterilization. Independent ATP testing reports 19 RLU post-wash contamination, materially below the 200 RLU Korean food safety standard and the 125 RLU typical of new single-use cups. Containers are rated for 300+ uses before being upcycled into furniture and other products, completing a circular loop.

The business generates revenue through two principal streams: short-term event rentals offered as Basic (small-scale, 30–1,000 attendees, self-service delivery/pickup) and Total (1,000+ attendees, on-site staff management) tiers priced per container, and recurring subscription services for corporate office cafes, cinemas, and restaurants with minimum six-month contracts. The company has expanded into adjacent event services—staffing (10,000+ validated candidate database, 5,800+ operational cases), professional audio rental, food catering, and event supplies across 14 categories—positioning itself as an integrated event services provider rather than a pure container vendor. Customers include MegaBox, GS25, KT, LG Group, Pentaport Rock Festival, Grand Mint Festival, and the Incheon Seo-gu District government. Founded in 2021 and led by CEO Kwak Jae-won (곽재원), the company has received seed-stage funding from LG Social Fellows and subsequent investment from Korean VCs including Fast Ventures, Strong Ventures, Golden Oak Investment, Hana Financial Investment, and SJ Investment Partners.

Name

Trash Busters

Legal name

주식회사 트래쉬버스터즈

Website

https://trashbusters.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Trash Busters is a Seoul-based reusable container rental company providing BPA-free polypropylene cups, bowls, and tableware to South Korean festivals, corporate offices, cinemas, and cafes, supported by a proprietary seven-step washing center and an integrated event services platform spanning staffing, audio, catering, and supplies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reusable Container Rental & Circular Economy Services

NAICS

Waste Collection (5621), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial & Office Waste Collection (Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Reusable container rental
• Circular economy services
• Event waste management
• Cup washing service
• Sustainable foodservice

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Short-term Rental (Festival/Event Service): One-time rental fees for reusable containers at festivals and events. Two tiers: Basic service (container rental only with delivery/pickup) and Total service (rental plus on-site operational staff management). Pricing is based on container quantity, not rental duration. Additional services include rental equipment (booths, tables, lighting) and staffing.
2. Regular Subscription Service: Monthly or contract-based rental service for regular users including corporate office cafes, cinemas, and restaurants. Cups are delivered and collected regularly. Minimum contract is 6 months with annual discounts available. Cup-only rentals for regular subscription.
3. Staffing Services: Professional event staffing including event staff recruitment, on-site management, and operations support. The company has 10,000+ qualified young person database and provides pre-training (OJT) before deployment, on-site PM supervision, and standby reserve staff.
4. Food Catering: Event catering services including Korean lunch boxes, sandwiches, snacks, and catering. The company also partners with local brands and traditional markets for healthy food options.
5. Equipment Rental: Rental of event equipment including sound/audio systems, event supplies (tents, booths, furniture), and facilities (Hivooth honeycomb-shaped booths, return booths, return boxes). 14 broad product categories available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Trash Busters is a South Korean company that manufactures and rents reusable cups, bowls, plates, spoons, forks, and lids made from BPA-free polypropylene, providing both short-term festival/event rental and recurring subscriptions for corporate offices, cinemas, and cafes/restaurants. The company runs its own TSWC (Trash Busters Sustainable Washing Center) with a 7-step cleaning and UV-C sterilization process that recirculates containers for 300+ reuse cycles, and complements container rental with on-site staffing, audio equipment, food catering, and event supplies services.

Product overview

Trash Busters operates a reusable container rental platform with two core service categories: (1) Event Services comprising Small-scale/Basic Rental for 30-1,000 person events with container delivery and pickup, and Large-scale/Total Service for 1,000+ person events with full on-site staff management including supply, inventory, return booth operations, and waste management; and (2) Regular Subscription Services for office cafes/break rooms, movie theaters, and regular cafes/restaurants with daily delivery, pickup, and professional washing. The product portfolio includes reusable cups (11-22oz in PP material), cup lids, bowls, plates, spoons, and forks. Supporting infrastructure includes Hivooth (hexagonal booth), Return Booth (orange booth), Return Box, Busting Score Counter (LED counter for environmental impact tracking), and Upcycle Table & Stool (furniture made from recycled containers). Event support services include Staff Support (10,000+ validated staff database, on-site PM), Audio Equipment Rental (professional design and setup), Food Catering (Korean meals, sandwiches, snacks), and Event Supplies Rental (14 product categories). The company operates its own washing center (TSWC) using 6-step cleaning process including ultrasound, high-temp/pressure washing, UV-C sterilization, achieving 19 RLU contamination levels—6x cleaner than new single-use cups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Event Reusable Container Rental Service (행사용 다회용기 대여 서비스) Parent reusable container rental offering for festivals and events, available in two tiers — Basic (small-scale rental with delivery/pickup) and Total (large-scale with on-site staff management) — for South Korean event organizers.
• Small-Scale Festival Service (소규모 서비스) Self-service reusable container rental for events with 30-1,000 attendees, providing delivery and pickup of containers to designated locations; available only in Seoul/Gyeonggi region.
• Large-Scale Total Service (대규모 서비스) Full-service reusable container rental for events with 1,000+ attendees including professional on-site staff for inventory, return booth operations, audience interaction, and waste management.
• Office Cafe/Break Room Subscription (사내카페/탕비실 서비스) Recurring subscription providing daily reusable cup delivery, collection, and washing to corporate office cafes and break rooms with daily quantities of 200-30,000+ cups.
• Cinema Service (영화관 서비스) Recurring subscription delivering reusable cups to cinema concessions with dedicated return bins and waste management for cinema chains such as MegaBox.
• Cafe/Restaurant Subscription (카페/음식점 서비스) Recurring subscription delivering, picking up, and washing reusable cups for cafes and restaurants to replace dishwashing and single-use cups.
• Reusable Cups (다회용 컵) Proprietary polypropylene reusable cups in 11oz, 14oz, 16oz, 20oz, and 22oz sizes, BPA-free and FDA/Health Canada/REACH/UK FSA/Japan MHLW compliant; designed for hot foods and 300+ reuse cycles.
• Reusable Cup Lids (다회용 컵 뚜껑/리드) LDPE cup lids in flat and dome variants for the reusable cup line, available for regular subscription customers.
• Reusable Bowls, Plates, Spoons, and Forks (볼, 접시, 스푼, 포크) Polypropylene reusable bowls (approximately 800ml with handles), plates, spoons, and forks available for short-term event rental.
• Hivooth Hexagonal Booth (하이부스) Rental of honeycomb-shaped modular booths (~90 kg) with steel pillars and waterproof-coated fabric; suitable for exhibitions, markets, promotion events, popup stores, and large festivals.
• Return Booth (반납 부스) Orange reusable container return booth with aluminum/steel frame and PC top; can double as a sales booth or cafeteria.
• Return Box (반납함) Event return box with steel frame, Formex sign, and PP box for collecting used reusable containers at festivals and events.
• Busting Score Counter (버스팅 스코어 카운터) Rental of LED display devices that count and visibly display reusable container returns, creating awareness of environmental impact at events.
• Upcycled Table & Stool (업사이클 테이블 & 의자) Furniture made from recycled Trash Busters PP containers, with recycled plastic tabletops and MDF ecoboard legs, suitable for food zones and workshop spaces.
• Staff Support Service (인력지원 서비스) Professional event staffing for popup stores, festivals, and office operations with pre-OJT training, on-site PM presence, and backup personnel from a 10,000+ validated youth database.
• Audio Equipment Rental (음향장비 렌탈) Event audio solutions with professional audio designer consultation and on-site personnel for optimal sound system setup tailored to event scale and venue structure.
• Food Catering (푸드 케이터링) Event food catering offering Korean boxed meals, sandwiches, snacks, and full catering with local brand and traditional market sourcing.
• Event Supplies Rental (행사용품 렌탈) Comprehensive event supplies rental spanning 14 product categories including tents, lighting, and various event infrastructure, consolidating multiple vendors in one place.

Quantifiable outcome

• ATP contamination level of 19 RLU (vs 200 RLU food safety standard and 125 RLU for new single-use cups) - 6x cleaner than single-use
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, support and minor.

• KT (케이티)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched a reusable cup rental service collaboration called 'KT Y 제로 웨이스트 피크닉 세트' (Zero Waste Picnic Set). KT uses Trash Busters' services for corporate sustainability initiatives.
• LG Group (LG그룹)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in LG Group's sustainability content as a company helping reduce single-use waste. Trash Busters provides reusable container services for LG corporate events.
• MegaBox (메가박스)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor cinema chain that implemented Trash Busters' reusable cup service for movie theater concessions, reducing single-use cup waste and disposal costs.
• 환경재단 (Environmental Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on '서울오래컵' (Seoul Long-life Cup) project to promote reusable cup culture in Seoul. Supported by environmental organization.
• 세스코 (Sesco)supportTechnology or IntegrationProfessional disinfection and pest control company providing ongoing cleaning center maintenance including pest control, virus care, and UV power air sterilization management for the TSWC facility.
• AOY (에이오와이)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeoul-based creative design studio that co-designed the 'KEEP GOING' cross bag made from leftover fabric from Trash Busters' picnic bags, which was recycled PET bottle material.
• 인천 서구 (Incheon Seo-gu District)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership for reusable cup activation program that was expanded starting June 2022. Trash Busters provides containers and operations for the program.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Recup: Germany's reusable cup sharing system with deposit-based returnable cups at events, cafes and takeaways. Operates the same circular model as Trash Busters at much larger scale, making it the closest global analog for the Korean business.
• CupClub: UK-based reusable cup-as-a-service for offices, cafes and events with a smart-cup tracking system and centralized washing. Directly comparable to Trash Busters' subscription-plus-events model.
• Globelet: Australia-origin reusable cup rental and washing service built primarily around festivals and events. Closest functional analogue to Trash Busters' festival Total Service and proven-waste-reduction value proposition.
• Recircle: German reusable cup sharing/deposit system focused on food service partners. Comparable circular model with deposit-based return, similar to Trash Busters' B2B events and cafe contracts.

Emerging players

• Huskee: Australia-based reusable coffee cup brand with a takeback and recycling program. Adjacent to Trash Busters because Huskee focuses on the cup product itself and end-of-life processing, while TB operates the broader rental/cleaning/return service on top of cups.

Broad incumbents

• Klean Kanteen: Long-established US maker of reusable stainless-steel bottles and food containers sold B2B and B2B2C. Wider product scope than Trash Busters and a sales-led product model rather than rental service, but shares the reusable-vs-disposable value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/official.trashbusters
• Instagraminstagram.com/official.trashbusters
• Xx.com/trashbusters___
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trash-busters

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors9 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trash Busters