With its innovative flagship product, dubbed the Topper Stopper™, Charlotte startup Genesis 1 Technologies is changing the landscape of how we recycle—and, perhaps, how we think about waste altogether. By combining barcode scanning, sensors, and real-time data tracking, the system prevents contamination and turns everyday recycling into a measurable, trackable, and rewardable process.
Founder Marcus Wade said the idea for the product came from what he described as “divine intervention.” He was working with companies on early AI tools when a connection of his daughter’s professor introduced him to a problem facing Coca-Cola.
In large stadiums, fans were asked to place recyclables into plastic bags, which were later collected in bulk. But the system often failed; recyclables would be mixed with trash or non-recyclable materials, contaminating entire batches and causing them to be sent to landfills. This also occurs more broadly, with the EPA estimating that about 25% of recycling is contaminated.
After learning about this process, Wade said he couldn’t stop thinking about the inefficiency.
Soon thereafter, he was doing a devotional about business centered on a story about redesigning the bow and arrow. His path was leading him to redesign a recycling system that was flawed. That night, he said, asked God for a solution.
“I went to sleep and woke up with the idea,” Wade said.
That idea became an early prototype, ultimately evolving into what is now the Topper Stopper™—a system designed to eliminate contamination at the source.
Solving for contamination
The Topper Stopper™ is a retrofitted lid of sorts that mounts directly onto a recycling bin. Instead of allowing users to toss items freely, though, it requires each item to be scanned before disposal.
“You have to scan your item. Once the system recognizes it, the door opens, you put the item in, and then it closes,” Wade said. “Nothing gets in the bin that’s not recyclable.”
If the item is not recyclable, the bin does not open, effectively preventing contamination before it can occur. Sensors inside the unit also track when items are deposited and monitor how full the bin becomes.
Behind the physical device is an API-driven system that verifies items through a constantly updated product database (currently covering over a million items) and tracks detailed information about each scan.
“With the barcode, we don’t just know it’s a bottle.,” Wade said. “We know exactly what it is, how much material it contains, and the impact of recycling it.”
Through a live dashboard, customers can monitor the number of items recycled, material types, total weight, and how much waste has been diverted from landfills. The system also translates that activity into environmental metrics, such as water savings, carbon reduction, and energy use. For institutions, the data serves not only as a tracking tool but as verifiable proof of sustainability efforts (which Wade characterized as very valuable datasets to have access to).
Pilot programs
Genesis 1 Technologies is currently running a pilot program for its patent-pending Topper Stopper™ at the University of South Carolina Upstate, where the system has been deployed across multiple locations.
Before the pilot, the university had been working to expand its recycling program, collecting materials to increase diversion. However, much of what was gathered was contaminated, and most batches went to landfill. That breakdown in the system was a key reason USC Upstate chose to pilot the technology.
“I asked how it was going—it’s going great,” Wade said. “So much so that they’re now planning to pursue another grant to get more units.”
Additional pilot programs have been conducted with the Charlotte Hornets and the Toronto Zoo. An instrumental partner in these efforts has been Waste Wise Innovations, which serves as the company’s distributor and has played a key role in securing pilot contracts and expanding deployment opportunities.
Personal incentives and what’s ahead
Along with the hardware and data analytics, the startup has developed a points-based application focused on incentivizing users to recycle. The concept is simple: set up an account, scan in at the Topper Stopper, and earn points redeemable for rewards. The application is in late-stage testing with select USC Upstate students.
“So our next goal is to be able to grow the rewards to where we have multiple larger companies inside the rewards,” Wade said. “So then, when you go into your app, ‘Okay, I have 500 points. What can I use that for? Oh, I can get a pizza, or I can go to Starbucks….’”
Wade also mentioned ideas such as partnering with cities or gas stations to enable users to use rewards to offset electric bills or fuel costs, respectively.
Beyond rewards, Wade said there is a significant psychological impact in seeing what individual contributions amount to. Within the app, users can view how their recycling translates into broader environmental impact in a clear, accessible way.
“If I look at the app it tells me I saved, for example, 30.8 kilograms of carbon dioxide, that’s 201 items recycled across USC.” Wade said. “It also shows how much water was saved—enough for 61 showers—and energy to power a phone for 19,000 hours.”
QUICK BITS
Startup: Genesis 1 Technologies
Founder: Marcus Wade
Founded: 2023
Team size: 3
Location: Charlotte
Website: genesis.1.tech
Funding: Bootstrapped, raising seed
Looking ahead, Genesis 1 Technologies is focused on scaling the Topper Stopper™ beyond pilot programs and into broader deployment across campuses, corporate facilities, and municipalities.
Longer term, Wade envisions external, kiosk-style versions of the system—similar to a Redbox (editor’s note, for the kids: This was a machine that dispensed DVDs)—that could be placed in public spaces, allowing users to recycle and earn rewards at scale. Central to that expansion is the continued development of the app and rewards ecosystem, which he sees as key to driving widespread behavioral change.
