Youth Startup Award: CirBE transforms unsorted waste into resources.

Process first, sort later.

Mixed household waste in Vietnam has long been a challenging problem for waste treatment facilities: high moisture content, foul odors, and tightly packed impurities make initial sorting nearly impossible.

Faced with this situation, Circular Bioenergy Joint Stock Company (CirBE) chose an approach opposite to the traditional process; they opted for biological treatment using probiotics first, followed by mechanical separation.

Ms. Nguyen Thanh Van, Deputy Director of Strategy and Marketing at CirBE, shared: “After about 8-48 hours of microbial treatment, the amount of excess water, leachate, and H₂S gas is significantly reduced. The waste mass becomes dry and porous. At this point, the mechanical system begins to separate it.”

From the initial mixed waste stream, approximately 35% of the organic components are converted into fertilizer, 42% of the combustible portion is processed into RDF/SRF fuel, and the plastic and other recyclable materials are separated (the percentage varies depending on the input waste composition).

The operating philosophy of this model is based on adapting to the existing waste flow situation, rather than waiting for people's habits of sorting at source to change.

Ms. Van added: “In terms of infrastructure, the system is designed in a modular form with a capacity of 150 tons/day. The investment cost for each complete module ranges from 600,000 to 800,000 USD (excluding land and factory construction).”

Because it does not employ combustion technology, the model reduces the construction costs of incinerators, complex exhaust gas treatment systems, turbines, or grid connection infrastructure. The treatment process mainly takes place at ambient temperature, resulting in significant energy savings.

To date, the company has implemented pilot projects in Dong Thap , Thanh Hoa, and Ha Tinh provinces. The flexible modular design minimizes initial investment risks, allowing localities to increase capacity according to actual needs instead of having to build large-scale treatment complexes from the outset.

Finding solutions for output and cash flow.

According to CirBE's calculations, the project's cash flow comes from three main sources: waste reception and processing fees (ranging from 400,000 to 450,000 VND/ton), revenue from the sale of bio-fertilizers, recycled plastic pellets, and RDF/SRF fuel. Revenue from carbon credits is considered only a supplementary factor and does not play a decisive role in the model's viability.

The company had previously developed an ideal financial scenario with an earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) margin of 81% in the fifth year, based on the assumption that the system would operate at full capacity and consume 100% of its output. However, in light of market realities, CirBE proactively adjusted its EBITDA target to a more conservative level of approximately 40%.

This adjustment shows that even the most optimized technology must still be tested by the market. RDF/SRF is only valuable when there is a commitment to purchase it from cement plants, thermal power plants, or industrial boilers. Similarly, biofertilizers/organic compost and recycled plastics also need a stable distribution channel.

Currently, trade agreements are still being negotiated on a project-by-project basis. Businesses face a "chicken and egg" dilemma: to sign a long-term contract, partners require standardized parameters for quality and output, but to obtain these figures, the system must operate in practice with the specific waste streams of each locality.

To generate short-term revenue, CirBE chose to commercialize its own probiotics for fruit processing businesses. Organic by-products from processing are treated into compost or bio-fertilizer, which is then returned to the original growing region. This miniature circular model helps businesses become self-sufficient in output and easily control cash flow.

Waste Passport: Data-driven Waste Stream

Alongside its processing technology, CirBE is developing the Waste Passport solution to ensure transparency in the journey of waste from input to output.

Waste Passport will record the source of waste, its volume, time of receipt, estimated composition, processing method, and output products. At the input, the system can record waste originating from the local area, industrial zone, or market, the actual weight, and the time of receipt.

During the processing, parameters such as fermentation time, temperature, humidity, and odor reduction level are recorded. At the output, the system records the volume and quality of each product stream, including biofertilizer, RDF/SRF, resin, and other materials.

A mandatory principle of Waste Passport is volume balance; the total output plus the loss rate must exactly equal the input waste volume. This helps prevent the long-standing problem of inflated recycling rates, which are difficult to verify.

This standardized data source not only supports regulatory agencies in monitoring waste management and enforcing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), but also provides an ESG database for FDI businesses. In the long term, it will be a crucial foundation for carbon emission measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems.

The challenge of commercialization

Unlike other digital technology startups, the biggest challenge for an environmental startup like CirBE is no longer perfecting its technology, but rather the payment mechanism and commercial partnership model.

Currently, the company chooses a model of partnering with local operators. The partner is responsible for infrastructure, local relations, and ensuring the supply of input waste, while CirBE provides technology, equipment, probiotics, personnel training, and quality control of the output, and also holds all intellectual property rights.

After winning first prize at the Da Nang Innovation Startup Competition (SURF 2026), CirBE chose Da Nang City as the next location to implement its commercial model.

Without aiming for rapid "coverage," this startup's short-term goal is to successfully operate a few stable commercial modules where waste flows in daily, products are produced daily, and real revenue is generated. This is the most convincing proof that mixed household waste can be turned into a resource, even if the problem of waste sorting at source remains unsolved.

Many new features in the Youth Startup Award 2026

The 7th Tuoi Tre Startup Award 2026 is organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper and the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, in collaboration with the International Innovation Alliance (InnoEx) and with the special advice of Mr. Pham Phu Ngoc Trai - Chairman of the Strategic Innovation Advisory Council (SACSTI) of the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City.

The awards are divided into three categories: FinTech and Digital Economy ; Infrastructure, Transportation and Logistics; and Social Welfare and Sustainable Development. Start-ups are categorized into these groups, with each group having a top 10, and all top 10 have the opportunity to pitch.

This year, the program includes awards for students, opening up a new "source of inspiration" and motivation for ideas nurtured in school/labs to take shape and appear in the market.

The Youth Startup Award 2026 program is accepting applications from August 12, 2026 to October 15, 2026 (extended) . The preliminary judging panel will evaluate 30 outstanding startups, select the Top 10 to participate in the "Final Round - Project Presentation" and receive awards.

This year, the awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in October, divided into 3 categories based on 3 themes, with the support of the following organizations: Asia Commercial Bank (ACB ), AgriS (Thanh Thanh Cong - Bien Hoa Joint Stock Company), and VinaCapital Group.

Details about the program: https://tuoitre.vn/nhip-song-tre/tuoi-tre-start-up-award.htm

Link to the application form: here.

Alternatively, you can send an email to tuoitrestartupaward@tuoitre.com.vn, or scan the QR code above for more information.