What Recycle Me does

Recycle Me is a non-profit design project founded around 2006 by Swedish designer Pamela Lindgren, a postgraduate student at Chalmers University of Technology. The project uses jewelry and apparel as vehicles for organ donation awareness, creating silver jewelry shaped like human organs (liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, pancreas, small intestine) under the LIFE Collection, a limited-edition brass Brave Heart necklace, and organ-shaped t-shirts. All profits from product sales are donated to the Professor Lars-Erik Gelin Memorial Foundation for Transplant Research, a Swedish foundation established in 1981 with total capital assets of approximately SEK 12.5 million (USD 1.7 million).

The organization operates with approximately 19 employees and 40+ volunteers, and pursues a community-led go-to-market strategy through an ambassador program featuring musicians (Kapten Röd, ETZIA, Msaki), a ballet dancer (Benita Bünger), and a poet (Poeticsoul Mahambehlala). It participates in cultural events such as the Gothenburg Culture Festival (Kulturkalaset) and has established a cultural exchange program between Sweden and South Africa to extend awareness internationally. Products are distributed through two e-commerce storefronts: shop.pamelalindgren.com and the Gelin Foundation's shop at butik.gelinstiftelsen.se.

The business model is fundamentally charitable: revenue from jewelry and merchandise sales is fully directed to the partner foundation's transplant research grants, with no retained earnings or commercial growth mandate. The project holds no proprietary technology, patents, or AI capabilities, and operates as a mission-driven advocacy initiative rather than a commercial enterprise. Pamela Lindgren serves as founder and CEO, and the project received Honorary Member recognition from Livet som Gåva (Life as a Gift), a Swedish government-affiliated organ donation advocacy body, in 2016.

Name

Recycle Me

Legal name

Recycle Me

Website

https://recycleme.life

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Recycle Me is a non-profit design project founded by Pamela Lindgren that creates organ donation awareness jewelry and apparel, with all profits donated to the Gelin Foundation for Transplant Research, serving cause-driven consumers in Sweden and South Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cause-related statement jewelry

NAICS

Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (459420)

SIC

Jewelry, Silverware & Plated Ware (3910)

akta.pro primary industry

Heirloom Redesign & Repurposing (Resetting, Remounting) (CRAKAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Donation, Reuse & Sustainability Returns Programs (TLAIAHAJ)

Keywords

• Organ donation awareness
• Statement jewelry
• Nonprofit design
• Transplant research funding
• Cause merchandise

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Jewelry and merchandise sales: Recycle Me sells jewelry (silver and brass statement pieces) and t-shirts featuring human organ designs. All profits from sales are donated to the Professor Lars-Erik Gelin Memorial Foundation for Transplant Research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Recycle Me is a non-profit design project that designs and sells organ-shaped statement jewelry (silver LIFE Collection and brass Brave Heart line) and t-shirts to raise awareness of organ donation. All profits from product sales are donated to the Professor Lars-Erik Gelin Memorial Foundation for Transplant Research. Products are sold via the designer's shop and the GelinStiftelsen shop.

Product overview

Recycle Me is a non-profit design project founded by designer Pamela Lindgren that creates organ donation awareness products. The core offering consists of two main product lines: (1) the LIFE COLLECTION featuring silver jewelry shaped like human organs (liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, pancreas, small intestine), and (2) the Brave Heart statement jewelry—a large brass heart necklace. Additionally, T-shirts with organ-shaped prints are sold to spread organ donation awareness. All profits from Recycle Me product sales are donated to the Professor Lars-Erik Gelin Memorial Foundation for Transplant Research. Products can be purchased through the designer's shop and at GelinStiftelsen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LIFE Collection: A jewelry collection made in silver in Sweden featuring outlines of human organs to symbolize the strength and power of life. Profits support organ donation and transplantation.
• Brave Heart

Products and services

• Recycle Me Life Jewelry (LIFE COLLECTION) A collection of silver jewelry made in Sweden, designed in the shape of human organs (liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, pancreas, small intestine) to symbolize the strength and power of life. By wearing LIFE Jewellery, supporters make a pro-donation statement; all profits support organ donation and transplantation research through the Gelin Foundation.
• Brave Heart Statement Necklace A limited-edition statement necklace in the shape of a human heart, made in brass with a gold-colored finish. Designed to be large and striking to symbolize the bravery required to care for others and to promote organ donation awareness.
• Recycle Me T-shirts T-shirt prints in the shape of human organs that allow people to make a pro-donation statement by wearing the apparel. All profits from sales are donated to the Professor Lars-Erik Gelin Memorial Foundation for Transplant Research.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 organ donor can save 8 lives
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Livet som Gåva (Life as a Gift)coreOthers · 1 January 2016An independent collaboration between different patient organisations and medical profession in Sweden that works for organ donation awareness. Recycle Me founder Pamela Lindgren received honorary membership in 2016 for her contributions to the cause through design and culture. The organization is a government-affiliated body under Sweden's Ministry of Health and Social Affairs.
• GelinStiftelsen (The Gelin Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1981Professor Lars-Erik Gelin Memorial Foundation for Transplant Research. All profits from Recycle Me sales are donated to this foundation to support research in transplantation, especially transplantations of abdominal organs. The foundation was created in 1981 on the initiative of the Association of Kidney Patients of West Sweden and provides research grants to individual scientific projects. Total foundation capital assets are approximately SEK 12.5 million (USD 1.7 million).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• 4ocean: Sells bracelets and apparel whose proceeds fund ocean cleanup. Highly comparable as a cause-marketing lifestyle brand that monetizes a charitable mission through physical products.
• Lokai: Cause-marketing jewelry brand selling bracelets that raise awareness and funds for various charitable causes. Direct comparable as a mission-driven jewelry company using wearable products to drive social impact messaging.
• Donate Life America: US-based non-profit alliance promoting organ, eye, and tissue donation registration. Comparable as a donation-awareness organization that uses campaigns and merchandise to drive donor registration.
• BeadforLife: Non-profit social enterprise that sells beadwork jewelry made by artisans in developing countries, with proceeds supporting poverty alleviation. Directly comparable as a non-profit jewelry initiative funding a social cause through product sales.
• Gift of Life Donor Program: Non-profit organ procurement organization that also runs awareness campaigns. Comparable as a peer in the organ donation awareness space with similar mission scope.
• Livet som Gåva (Life as a Gift): Swedish government-affiliated organization promoting organ and tissue donation awareness. Directly comparable as a Swedish organ donation advocacy body that is a key partner of Recycle Me.

Broad incumbents

• Alex and Ani: Established jewelry brand with dedicated charity-by-design collections supporting causes through partnered donations. Comparable as a larger, broader jewelry brand that has institutionalized cause-marketing across its product line.
• charity: water: Established non-profit that builds a brand around a single cause (clean water) and sells branded merchandise to drive awareness and donations. Comparable as a larger, more institutionalized cause-marketing non-profit.

Emerging players

• Conscious Step: Cause-marketing apparel and accessories brand producing socks and apparel where each product funds a specific charity. Comparable in mission-driven physical product design with proceeds tied to charitable outcomes.
• FEED Projects: Cause-marketing company selling bags, accessories, and apparel where each product funds a specific number of meals for children. Comparable as a mission-driven lifestyle brand tying product purchases to measurable social impact.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Msaki_ZA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/recycle-me

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 Recycle Me