Inclusive Waste Recycling Consortium

What Inclusive Waste Recycling Consortium does

Inclusive Waste Recycling Consortium (iWrc) is a Brazil-headquartered, privately-held consortium founded in 2019 that connects multinational consumer-goods brands with socially-assured recycling cooperatives, primarily in Brazil, to source post-consumer recycled (PCR) material and meet ESG commitments. It operates as a three-pillar platform: iWrc University delivers standardized online training (health, safety, child/forced labor, operational best practices) to cooperative members and autonomous waste pickers, with completion certificates and per-student tracking; the Marketplace intermediatates the fair-trade sale of qualified recyclables from those cooperatives to brand buyers, with transparency and traceability; and ESG Services provides consulting, supply-chain risk analysis, GRI/IFRS-aligned ESG reports, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies. A proprietary internal tool called Empower tracks material flow through cooperatives and processors and issues QR-coded "product passports" that document the social and environmental story of a finished package, as demonstrated in the Ambev/Valgroup/Deink Aceleradora 100+ pilot.

The business model blends four revenue streams — marketplace commission on recycled-material transactions, professional services for ESG consulting and LCA studies, subscription/managed services for iWrc University capacity-building programs, and managed reverse-logistics services that reintroduce materials (e.g., e-waste) into corporate supply chains — all delivered through quote-based enterprise engagements initiated via a contact form or email. The company was established at the request of four founding corporate members (HP, Johnson & Johnson, KCC, and FEMSA Foundation), has since added engagements with Ambev and an unidentified Fortune 10 IT partner (electronic-waste reverse logistics across 40 cooperatives in São Paulo), and operates physical community drop-off points (So+ma / OC Houses) in Bahia and Santa Catarina in partnership with Ocean Conservancy and So+ma. Distribution is anchored in direct enterprise sales supported by co-development partnerships and a self-serve online training platform (iWrc University), with operational delivery concentrated in Brazil and an emerging international footprint (Vietnam).

iWrc is led by founder and CEO Michael Maggio, who originated the model after serving as Global Vice President of Packaging and Worldwide Head of R&D Engineering at Johnson & Johnson. The team listed on the website is small (~16 named members), the company is privately held with no disclosed post-founding funding rounds, cap table, or audited revenue, and pricing is not publicly disclosed. Recognition includes the 2021 Prêmio Latam Positive Impact Startup and the 2023 Prêmio Plástico Circular.

Name

Inclusive Waste Recycling Consortium

Legal name

iWrc – Inclusive Waste Recycling Consortium

Website

https://iwrc.world

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brazil-based private consortium connecting global brands with socially-assured recycling cooperatives, offering capacity-building training (iWrc University), a fair-trade marketplace for recyclables, and ESG advisory services. Founded 2019 at the request of HP, J&J, KCC, and FEMSA Foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recycling and ESG Consulting Services

NAICS

Waste Management and Remediation Services (562), Waste Collection (56211), Hazardous Waste Collection (562112), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging Recovery & Closed-Loop Programs (Take-Back, Deposit-Return, EPR Support) (IMALAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Packaging Waste Services (Pallets, Cardboard, Film, IBCs/Drums—Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAD), Consumer E-waste Collection & Take-Back Programs (EUAIAIAA), E-waste & Universal Waste Collection/Transfer (Electronics, Lamps, Batteries) (EUAIABAG)

Keywords

• Waste recycling consulting
• ESG advisory services
• Circular economy solutions
• Recycling cooperative training
• Post-consumer recycled materials

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Marketplace brokerage / fair-trade facilitation: Revenue generated by facilitating the fair trading of recyclable materials between partner cooperatives and partner brands, providing transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain; supports sustainability and legislative compliance for buyers.
2. ESG consulting & advisory services: Professional services revenue from ESG consultancies, assessment reports, supply chain risk analysis, ESG capacity building/training programs, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies for organizations seeking sustainability strategy execution.
3. iWrc University capacity-building programs: Revenue from offering the iWrc University training platform (education based on global standards) to companies seeking to secure their supply chain and to individuals updating recycling-sector knowledge.
4. Reverse logistics programs: Revenue from managing reverse-logistics programs that reintroduce materials (e.g., electronic waste) from cooperatives into corporate supply chains.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Inclusive Waste Recycling Consortium (iWrc) operates a collaborative platform with three integrated service pillars: iWrc University (capacity-building training for recycling cooperatives and autonomous waste pickers), the iWrc Marketplace (fair-trade intermediation that connects trained cooperatives with global brands seeking post-consumer recycled materials), and ESG Services (sustainability consulting, supply-chain risk analysis, GRI/IFRS-aligned ESG reporting, and Life Cycle Assessment studies). The model socially assures informal-sector recycling cooperatives—eliminating child labor, forced labor and unsafe working conditions—before they enter formal brand supply chains.

Product overview

iWrc is a unified collaborative platform organized around three core pillars — iWrc University (capacity building), the Marketplace (fair-trade intermediation of recyclables), and ESG Services (consulting, risk analysis and reporting) — supported by an internal traceability tool called Empower that issues QR-coded "product passports." Cooperative members first receive training and social assurance via iWrc University, then feed qualified material into the Marketplace, while ESG Services wraps the operation with sustainability strategy, supply-chain risk analysis, ESG reporting (GRI/IFRS) and Life Cycle Assessments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iWrc University: Exclusive online learning platform delivering capacity-building courses and certifications to recycling cooperative members and autonomous waste pickers on topics such as health, safety, child labor, forced labor and operational best practices.
• iWrc Marketplace
• Empower
• iWrc ESG Services

Products and services

• iWrc University An online learning platform delivering exclusive training based on global recycling-sector standards to recycling cooperative members and autonomous waste pickers. Content is delivered via short videos covering health, safety, child labor, forced labor and operational best practices, with activities, completion certificates, and per-student performance monitoring. Targeted at both companies seeking to secure their supply chain and individuals updating recycling-sector knowledge.
• iWrc Marketplace A fair-trade intermediation service that matches iWrc-trained, socially assured cooperatives selling recyclable materials with partner brands, generating income for cooperatives and ensuring decent conditions for workers. Supports companies in meeting sustainability, circular-economy and legislative targets.
• ESG Services A consulting suite covering sustainability strategy development, supply-chain risk analysis, capacity-building workshops, ESG reporting aligned with GRI and IFRS standards, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies. Helps organizations align business strategy with environmental, social and governance goals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased aggregated value of shrink plastic waste in Ambev's packaging chain by 47% (Aceleradora 100+)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• HPflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Founding member of iWrc (Inclusive Waste Recycling Consortium), established in 2019. HP was one of four founding members (HP, J&J, KCC, FEMSA Foundation) that requested the consortium's creation with the shared goal of including post-consumer recycled (PCR) material in their supply chains. The partnership defines iWrc's foundational mission and underpins ongoing collaborations with global brands.
• Johnson & Johnson (J&J)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Founding member of iWrc, established in 2019. iWrc was conceived while CEO/founder Michael Maggio was Global VP of Packaging and Worldwide Head of R&D Engineering at J&J, after he witnessed informal-sector risks in Brazil. J&J's R&D expertise shaped iWrc's focus on eliminating child/forced labor and integrating cooperatives into formal supply chains.
• KCCflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Founding member of iWrc, established in 2019. KCC was one of the four founding members (HP, J&J, KCC, FEMSA Foundation) that requested iWrc's creation to source post-consumer recycled (PCR) material for its supply chain.
• FEMSA FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Founding member of iWrc, established in 2019. FEMSA Foundation was one of four founding members (HP, J&J, KCC, FEMSA Foundation) collaborating to include post-consumer recycled material in corporate supply chains.
• AmbevcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partnership under the Aceleradora 100+ program. iWrc developed a pilot that integrated socially assured cooperatives into Ambev's packaging supply chain (including partners Deink and Valgroup) to produce shrink film with post-consumed residue. Outcome: 47% more revenue to cooperatives, 72% logistics-cost savings, shrink package delivered with 15% PCR (goal: 50%+), with full traceability via the Empower tool and a QR-coded "product passport."
• ValgroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner in the Aceleradora 100+ pilot with Ambev and Deink. Participated in producing shrink film with post-consumer recycled residue for Ambev's packaging supply chain.
• DeinkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner in the Aceleradora 100+ pilot with Ambev and Valgroup, producing shrink film using post-consumer recycled residue sourced from socially assured cooperatives.
• Ocean ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the So+ma House initiative. Together with So+ma and iWrc, established the first OC House on Guarajuba Beach in Camaçari, Bahia (avg. 6+ tons of recyclables/month) and a second at Praia Mole in Florianópolis/SC opened in February 2024, with a third planned in Salvador/BA.
• So+macoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the So+ma House initiative with Ocean Conservancy. Operates community waste-exchange points that channel recyclables to local cooperatives trained by iWrc University; removed 6+ tons of waste from oceans per month.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Circulate Capital: Circulate Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in companies preventing ocean plastic pollution, with a portfolio including informal-sector recycling solutions in South and Southeast Asia. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem player funding the same category of recycling supply-chain companies iWrc operates in.

Direct peers

• Hasiru Dala: Hasiru Dala is an India-based social enterprise that organizes waste picker cooperatives, provides training and dignified livelihoods, and integrates informal-sector recyclers into formal municipal and brand supply chains. Directly comparable to iWrc's iWrc University training and Marketplace intermediation model for cooperatives.
• Banyan Nation: Banyan Nation is an India-based circular economy company that integrates informal-sector waste pickers into formal, traceable PCR supply chains for FMCG and consumer-goods brands. Closely parallels iWrc's cooperative-first model, focus on ethically sourced recycled content, and brand supply-chain integration.
• Wecyclers: Wecyclers is a Nigeria-based incentive-based recycling platform that collects household recyclable waste through a network of informal-sector participants. Comparable to iWrc in its informal-sector engagement model, emerging-market focus, and use of technology to enable fair-trade material flows from communities to recyclers.
• Plastic Bank: Plastic Bank operates a blockchain-based platform that ethically sources recycled plastic from informal collectors in emerging markets and sells it to global brands as Social Plastic. Directly comparable to iWrc's Marketplace + Empower traceability approach and serves the same enterprise buyer profile seeking verified PCR supply.
• rePurpose Global: rePurpose Global is a plastic action platform that partners with brands to fund verified plastic recovery and recycling, including through informal-sector collection in emerging markets. Highly comparable to iWrc in its enterprise sales motion, brand-side PCR integration focus, and emerging-market recovery operations.

Emerging players

• Saahas Zero Waste: Saahas Zero Waste is an India-based waste management social enterprise that works with waste picker cooperatives and provides capacity building, similar to iWrc University. Comparable in emerging-market cooperative integration and focus on capacity building for informal-sector waste workers.

Broad incumbents

• TerraCycle: TerraCycle is an established global recycling and circular-economy platform operating brand-sponsored recycling programs for hard-to-recycle waste streams. Broader incumbent serving the same enterprise buyers seeking recycled-content and ESG solutions, though not focused specifically on informal-sector cooperative integration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/iwrcworld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iwrc
• Instagraminstagram.com/iwrc.world

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Inclusive Waste Recycling Consortium