Refuse
ReFuse is a Lebanese social enterprise providing Integrated Solid Waste Management services — reward-based community collection points, B2B ESG environmental services, and ISWM consulting — for underserved urban communities, enterprises, governments, and NGOs in Lebanon and East Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersBeirut, Lebanon
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Refuse does
ReFuse S.A.R.L. is a Lebanese private social enterprise founded in late 2021 (formally established March 2022) and headquartered in Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon, dedicated to Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM). The company operates strategically placed recyclables collection points — initially an abandoned-bakery pilot on Beirut's outskirts, then a larger sorting center in Bourj Hammoud (2022), then a Hamra facility (2023) — designed for dense, underserved neighborhoods. Its proprietary operating software registers every drop-off, assigns rewards based on average market prices, and manages personal e-wallets, handling 500+ daily transactions across 24+ recyclables streams; hydraulic balers compact sorted materials to reduce volume by up to 95%.
ReFuse serves four primary customer segments: underserved urban communities (community users earning recycling rewards), private enterprises (B2B ESG compliance services anchored by Alshaya Corporation), government and municipal authorities (ISWM consulting and policy support), and NGOs/civil society (technical training and capacity building). Revenue is generated through four streams — B2B environmental services, sale of processed recyclables to the recycling industry, ISWM consulting, and grants/development funding from USAID, EU, GIZ, ENI CBC MED, and others. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; community transactions operate on pay-as-you-go reward economics, while consulting and B2B engagements are multi-year contracts.
In 2024 ReFuse began international expansion via the SUNNY Project in Uganda and Rwanda (an 18-partner, 11-country consortium led by Technical University of Berlin), bringing waste characterization, market analysis, and valorization work to refugee camps and host communities. The company was originally named 'Refugees For Reuse' before rebranding. It is independently owned by its four co-founders, with Guglielmo Mazzà serving as CEO, and has been recognized by MIT Design Lab (2021 third place), Social Impact Award (2023), Asia Youth Leaders, and European Young Innovator.
Refuse firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Refuse
- Legal name
- ReFuse S.A.R.L.
- Website
- https://refuse.eco
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ReFuse is a Lebanese social enterprise providing Integrated Solid Waste Management services — reward-based community collection points, B2B ESG environmental services, and ISWM consulting — for underserved urban communities, enterprises, governments, and NGOs in Lebanon and East Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Refuse is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Beirut
- HQ country
- Lebanon
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices3 records
Markets served
Refuse business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- B2B Environmental Services: Environmental services for businesses including waste handling, waste reduction strategies, and sustainable practices consultancy. Revenue from ESG compliance support services.
- Waste Sorting and Processing Services: Collection point operations where users drop off recyclables and receive monetary rewards. Revenue generated from selling processed recyclables to recycling industry.
- Consulting and Technical Advisory: ISWM consulting services to government ministries, municipal authorities, development organizations, and private companies. Services include training, infrastructure design, policy development, and feasibility studies.
- Grants and Development Funding: Funding from international donors and development organizations (USAID, EU, GIZ, etc.) for specific projects and organizational development.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B environmental services |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Community reward-based sorting |
| Other | Multi-year contract | ISWM consulting and training |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Refuse product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ReFuse designs, operates, and scales Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) services through neighborhood recyclables collection points with reward-based sorting, B2B environmental services for enterprises, and technical advisory/consulting for government ministries, municipalities, NGOs, and development organizations. The company combines physical sorting infrastructure in shipping containers, hydraulic balers, and a proprietary web application to process 24+ recyclables streams and enable 500+ daily transactions.
Product overview
ReFuse is a Lebanese social enterprise dedicated to Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) offering a portfolio of interconnected services. The core offering consists of Neighbourhood Sorting Solutions with strategically placed Recyclables Collection Points (handling 24+ material categories) that use ReFuse's proprietary operating software to enable reward-based sorting. The service portfolio extends to Awareness and Education programs, Environmental Services for Businesses (B2B), Community Engagement initiatives, Policy Development and Advocacy, Research, and Training and Capacity Building. ReFuse also operates ECOHUB in Hamra as a community space for environmental action. The company targets underserved communities in Lebanon and expanding internationally through projects like SUNNY in Uganda and Rwanda.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Neighbourhood Sorting Solutions Designs and implements recycling solutions for communities, enabling residents to sort recyclables and receive monetary rewards through strategically placed collection points in dense, underserved neighbourhoods.
- Recyclables Collection Points (Sorting Facilities) Sorting facilities built in shipping containers capable of handling 24+ categories of secondary raw materials in dense, underserved neighbourhoods. Includes reward-based, software-enabled sorting at source and hydraulic balers that compact sorted materials reducing volume by up to 95%.
- B2B Environmental Services Business-to-business services for enterprises pursuing ESG goals, including waste handling, dismantling, sorting into 30 categories, valorization, and safe disposal of items not fit for sale. ReFuse handled over 1 million items and 25+ tons of expired/outdated materials for Alshaya Corporation, reducing dumped volume by 80%.
- Environmental Services for Businesses
Quantifiable outcome
- Handles 24+ recyclables streams
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Refuse
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Refuse technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Refuse partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- Technical University of BerlincoreLead of SUNNY project (17 partners across 11 countries). ReFuse contributes waste characterization, market analysis, waste valorization value chains, and eco-design parameters for energy technologies in Uganda and Rwanda.
- Semeurs D'avenir - IECDminorAwareness raising for youth in Keserwan schools on integrated solid waste management, organizing recycling workshops and sorting demonstrations.
- Management System International (MSI)coreProvided Scaling Up Framework for developing ReFuse's scaling vision and strategy. Supported financial planning, stakeholder mapping, and long-term strategic planning.
- CTENminorPartner in SUNNY project working with ReFuse to analyze local waste patterns and create efficient biowaste management system linked to biogas facility.
- MIT Design LabmajorWinner of MIT DesignX Cohort 5 3rd Place. Continued partnership for design thinking and innovation in waste management.
- BerytechminorLebanese innovation hub supporting startups and entrepreneurs in the MENA region.
- ESA Business SchoolminorLebanese business school providing educational and advisory support.
- AL MajmouaminorLebanese association supporting MSMEs and entrepreneurship.
- SDSNminorSustainable Development Solutions Network supporting sustainability initiatives.
- EcoSwitchminorOrganization supporting green and sustainable solutions.
- WeWorld - GVC NGOminorReFuse trained staff through technical masterclass on climate crisis, social issues, and solid waste management interconnection.
- Ahla FawdaminorCo-founded ECOHUB - The Hub for Collaborative Environmental Action in Hamra. ReFuse provided training on waste valorization, behavior change, and governance.
- CELIM NGOminorTechnical design of Circular Economy for Local Development project, local data collection, and financially viable model for resources valorization.
- Ahlam LajeaminorTechnical training on integrated solid waste management, safety in waste handling, and composting for Palestinian NGO staff.
- AgonistaminorSocial enterprise for reuse of unused carts from Food and Beverage sector, hiring people with special needs.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Refuse competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- EcoPost: Kenyan social enterprise recycling post-consumer plastic waste into fencing and outdoor products. Comparable African-market social enterprise leveraging plastics recovery for both impact and commercial revenue.
- Hasiru Dala: Indian social enterprise focused on waste-pickers' rights, integration, and decentralized waste management. Comparable social-impact narrative around the informal recycling sector and community-level behavior change.
- Saahas Zero Waste: Indian social enterprise providing waste management services with deep integration of the informal waste-picker sector. Comparable focus on formalizing informal recycling and operating decentralized collection/sorting infrastructure.
- Wecyclers: Nigeria-based social enterprise operating reward-based household recyclables collection in dense, low-income neighborhoods. Closest direct peer — same community-led, incentive-driven model targeting underserved urban areas.
- Plastic Bank: Global social enterprise that collects and recycles plastic in underserved coastal communities while paying collectors above-market rates. Highly comparable mission, reward mechanic, and recyclables-trading revenue model.
Broad incumbents
- Veolia: Global environmental services group with significant waste management presence in MENA. Competes for large municipal and industrial waste contracts and sets pricing benchmarks ReFuse must navigate.
- Suez: French multinational with established waste management operations across MENA. Operates at vastly larger scale and competes for municipal and commercial waste contracts in Lebanon and the wider region.
- ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Global environmental and sustainability consultancy serving enterprises on ESG, waste, and circular economy strategy. Comparable on the B2B ESG advisory side of ReFuse's offering.
- EcoAct: International consultancy (now part of NTT Data) helping companies design and implement carbon and ESG strategies. Adjacent peer on the enterprise ESG/sustainability advisory services ReFuse sells.
Emerging players
- Recykal: India-based digital platform connecting waste generators, recyclers, and brands with material traceability and EPR compliance tools. Comparable on the software-enabled recyclables-marketplace and ESG-reporting angle.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Refuse social profiles
Digital presenceRefuse financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Refuse leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Refuse funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Refuse M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Refuse
What does Refuse do?
ReFuse designs, operates, and scales Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) services through neighborhood recyclables collection points with reward-based sorting, B2B environmental services for enterprises, and technical advisory/consulting for government ministries, municipalities, NGOs, and development organizations. The company combines physical sorting infrastructure in shipping containers, hydraulic balers, and a proprietary web application to process 24+ recyclables streams and enable 500+ daily transactions.
Is Refuse a public or private company?
Refuse is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Refuse founded?
Refuse was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Refuse based?
Refuse is headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, in the Middle East region.
How does Refuse make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. B2B Environmental Services are the primary driver. The others are waste Sorting and Processing Services, consulting and Technical Advisory and grants and Development Funding.
Who are Refuse's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are EcoPost, Hasiru Dala, Saahas Zero Waste, Wecyclers and Plastic Bank. Broad incumbents are Veolia, Suez, ERM (Environmental Resources Management) and EcoAct. Recykal is listed as an emerging player.
Does Refuse have an API?
No public API is recorded for Refuse.