A mobile app makes it easier to recycle your clutter by connecting people with “grabbers.”

A mobile app called Grabville connects cities, citizens and authorized collectors with the goal of developing circular economy ecosystems where people can responsibly buy, give or dispose of any object, making it easier to reuse and recycle unwanted materials. Grabville currently has 25,000 users through pilot projects running in La Prairie, Brossard and Saint Constant. The aim of the app is to meet high demand for an easy way to get rid of old things and clutter. Grabville provides an interactive map to help users find businesses and organizations involved in the circular economy in their area.

To make life easier for citizens, Grabville offers them an interactive map where they can find all the players in the circular economy in their sector

Here’s how it works: Say a person wants to get rid of an appliance that no longer works. They have two ways to request a pickup: text message or Facebook Messenger. They then send a photo of the object and provide information, such as the address where it is located, including the postal code and floor number, and the type of material. Then, Grabville transfers the information to all the “grabbers” in the area (e.g., municipal organizations and individuals) who will make their best offer on the object. Grabbers whose offers fall short will receive a message giving them a second chance. After 30 minutes, Grabville sends the best offer to the owner, who can accept or refuse it. If the offer is accepted, the two parties are put into contact and the deal is sealed.

Municipalities can purchase a licence from Grabville giving them access to data on all the collection requests in an area, including types and quantities of recuperated materials and the request locations. Cities can use this precious data in their government funding requests for trash collection.

“Instead of inserting ourselves into cities with little regard for their particular challenges, we talk with them to develop an agreement that gives them access to precious data, and we give them a percentage of the profits we make in the area,” explains Frédéric Proulx, Grabville founder.

The platform was officially launched a few days ago and will expand into Ontario this fall.