SME story: How Sparklo is redefining recycling in the UAE and beyond

Gulf Business

a day ago

Image: Supplied
Founded on the belief that recycling should be simple, rewarding, and accessible, Sparklo emerged from a deep understanding of the sustainability challenges facing the UAE and the wider MENA region.
Since its launch in December 2022, Sparklo has collected over 95 million recyclables, built the region's largest incentive-driven recycling community, and is set to redefine how we think about waste, technology, and environmental responsibility across 10 countries.
In this interview, Maxim Kaplevich, founder and CEO of
Sparklo, shares how parklo's innovative reverse vending machines — known as Sparklomats —are transforming everyday recycling into a motivating experience by rewarding users with real-life discounts, bridging the gap between people and recycling infrastructure.
What inspired you to start the company?
The idea for
That's when I identified a critical gap in recycling systems. In many countries, including the UAE, the technical capacity to process recyclables exists, and people genuinely care about sustainability. Yet over 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally each year, with two-thirds becoming waste after a single use. Clearly, something isn't working.
The issue is the lack of infrastructure connecting people with recycling facilities in a way that's easy and motivating. That gap is what holds everything back. Cleantech providers need to focus on building collection infrastructure — without necessarily engaging in recycling.
Countries like Germany and Scandinavian nations recycle large amounts of waste, supported by strong infrastructure. But most of these countries rely on deposit-return systems: people pay extra when they buy a bottle and are refunded only if they return it.
In regions where collection infrastructure is underdeveloped or inefficient, I believed we needed a different approach: instead of taking people's money to encourage recycling, we should give them a solution that motivates them to return bottles and cans with rewards.
That's how Sparklo was created. We launched in December 2022. UAE residents got the solution they needed — a new reverse vending machine, called the Sparklomat, that rewards them for doing the right thing.
Since then, we've collected over 95 million recyclables in MENA and built the region's largest incentive-driven
What is the business model of Sparklo?
We focus on both end users and private and public partners. How does it work for users? Drop in a plastic bottle or can and earn redeemable points in our Sparklo app — discounts on groceries, taxi rides, delivery, and more. It's seamless and gives immediate feedback: you recycle, you get rewarded. Today, we have dozens of loyalty partners helping us realise our vision of rewarding positive habits.
Beyond rewards, location matters. To make recycling seamless, Sparklomats must be placed where people already are. To build this infrastructure, Sparklo uses a 'hardware-as-a-service' model.
Our machines are now deployed in 280 UAE locations: residential communities, retail stores, workplaces, schools, and transport hubs. We've partnered with Dubai Municipality, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, ADNOC Distribution, Carrefour, LuLu, Accor, Emaar, and others to integrate recycling into daily life.
This approach lets us make recycling convenient and rewarding for users — while helping partners meet their ESG goals. In turn, they help us scale the infrastructure to make Sparklo's vision a reality.
How was the business funded?
The company is privately funded with my own investment and contributions from MENA-oriented private investors who support the growth of UAE-based technology.
What technology is being used for Sparklomats?
Artificial intelligence plays a key role in how Sparklomats work. Unlike machines that rely on barcodes to determine whether an item can be recycled, ours use advanced recognition technology to identify plastic bottles and aluminum cans in milliseconds — with or without labels or barcodes. If it's recyclable, it's accepted. Instantly.
This smart system connects to the Sparklo app, so users get rewarded right away with points they can spend on real-life discounts. Meanwhile, the machines log every interaction, helping us track environmental impact, improve recycling habits, and personalise the experience over time. It's fast, simple, and intuitive — exactly what recycling needs to be if we want people to do it every day.
How do people and businesses benefit from Sparklo?
For everyday users, Sparklo turns recycling into something that's easy, highly rewarding, and engaging. This positive reinforcement helps build lifelong habits — people start seeking out our machines and telling their friends, becoming part of a global sustainability movement.
For partners, Sparklo is a practical way to show environmental leadership and contribute to recycling infrastructure. They get verified impact data, improved sustainability performance, and stronger community engagement. By installing Sparklomats, they make recycling more accessible and help drive real change in their communities.
We also focus on UAE-based manufacturing and job creation: our Sparklomats are locally produced in Ras Al Khaimah. This supports sustainable recycling and strengthens the UAE's economy — while helping other countries adopt scalable solutions. Beyond the UAE, our network spans 10 countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, India, and others.
Today, we operate over 400 RVMs globally, promoting UAE-built technology around the world.
What are the future plans of the company?
Over the next five to 10 years, Sparklo aims to collect more than 50 per ceny of all plastic bottles consumed in at least five of our operating countries.
In the UAE, our goal is for at least half of the working population to actively use Sparklomats and the app to recycle within the next decade.