Recycle, donate and provide job opportunities
Every pickup gives a share to a charity you choose — and the more you collect, the bigger that share. Around three bags in one pickup reaches a full 50/50 split.
CharityBo collects empty bottles at your office.
You support creating low-threshold job opportunities
The service is free
Schedule pickup at your convenience
You choose the donation target
How it works
Step 3
Money transfer
We send you a breakdown of the bottles and cans recycled, and the deposit received.
We also send you a receipt of the donation made to your chosen charity. Part of every deposit goes to your chosen charity, and the fuller the pickup, the larger that share — from about three bags it reaches the classic 50/50 split.
Step 1
Registration
Start by signing up for the service - it only takes a few minutes. Then select what charity you want to support. When your bottles have piled up, book a pickup at a time that suits you. Each pickup is booked separately, so you always see how much you've actually collected.
Step 2
Picking up bottles
On the day of the pick up, ensure that all bottles and cans are collected into plastic bags or the CharityBo container provided to you. Our driver will collect and recycle the bottles.
Use the Directions/comments section for any additional instructions (i.e. call this number when approaching the destination)
Donors
What customers are saying
Bringing the Family Together: The Story of CharityBo
Oleg Oleinicov moved to Finland in 2006 to study computer science at the University of Kuopio. After several years as a programmer, he founded the software development company Superbrain in 2020.
Oleg Oleinicov and his father Igor Oleinicov at work together
Originally from Moldova, Oleg values strong family ties and encouraged his parents to join him in Finland.
His father, Igor Oleinicov, initially found work delivering baked goods for Vaasan Leipomo, but a severe shoulder injury soon made heavy deliveries impossible.
Finding a Solution
Finding a less strenuous job for Igor, who was nearing his sixties and faced language barriers, proved challenging. To help, Oleg looked for ways to combine his business expertise with his father’s logistics knowledge to create a new job for Igor.
A conversation with a former colleague, Tuukka Koskinen, sparked an idea. Tuukka pointed to the pile of empty bottles in their meeting room, joking about how coders sustain themselves on Coke and energy drinks. He noted the inefficiency of well-paid coders recycling the bottles themselves and mentioned he would happily give the bottles to anyone willing to collect them.
Creating Jobs and Doing Good
Igor picking up empty bottles at Measurelab in Helsinki.
Oleg saw this as an opportunity to make a positive impact. While he prioritized creating employment opportunities for immigrants, he recognized that others might support different causes, such as mental health initiatives or youth programs.
CharityBo was born
This led to the creation of CharityBo in 2022. The service employs immigrants, starting with Oleg's father, and allows users to donate the value of their bottle deposits to chosen non-profits, creating a win-win situation.
CharityBo's model is straightforward: half of the proceeds go to the donor's selected cause, and the other half covers operational costs like collection containers, salaries and transportation.
Igor enjoys his work and is learning Finnish
The volunteers behind CharityBo
Oleg Oleinicov,
Founder of CharityBo
I founded CharityBo to help my father find work after a job-related injury. As the organization grows, our mission is to provide more, low-treshold, job opportunities in logistics.
CharityBo is a non-profit, and through it, I help support the greater good. After covering costs, all profits are donated to charities selected by our customers.
Christa Schauman,
Market analytics
Working for Wolt Sweden was a pivotal experience. Interacting with couriers and making deliveries myself highlighted the importance of low-threshold jobs for individuals to enter the labor market.
Through a project, I met Oleg Oleinicov and learned about his father’s journey. Access to the job market is essential, not just for individuals, but for society as a whole.
Anna Klaile,
Customer acquisition
I spent more than seven years at Meta, leading Nordic sales and overseeing business development. Pro bono work was a key part of my role. I advised several non-profits on visibility and member acquisition, many of which focused on workforce integration.
By continuing this work with CharityBo, I’m able to contribute meaningfully to a cause that I’m deeply familiar with.
Kirsi Klaile,
Content creation
I am committed to supporting individuals who face challenges entering the job market but have a strong desire to work. The story of Oleg Oleinicov's father moved me, and I was intrigued by his innovative approach to job creation.
As a communications volunteer, I bring experience from my work in media, international consulting, and government administration.
CharityBo in numbers
201
clients connected
260 000
bottles collected
money transferred
20 000 €
29
charitable foundations
Number are updated daily
F.A.Q.
For four years we kept the service free and always passed a full 50/50 share to charity, covering the shortfall ourselves. We have no donors or sponsors. After running the numbers, it became clear the old model couldn't sustain itself — so we changed how pickups work, rather than quietly shutting down. Now every pickup gives a share to charity, and that share grows with how much you collect, reaching a full 50/50 from about three bags in one pickup. The service stays, and your impact continues.
Yes, we collect your deposit bottles free of charge, at a time that suits you.
You can donate plastic bottles, glass bottles, and cans purchased in Finland that have a deposit.
If bottles accumulate slowly, you can request a free collection container (120 L) and plastic bags. We recommend booking a pickup once you've collected about three full bags (and at least two) — from around three bags each pickup reaches a full 50/50 split with charity. When you're ready, schedule a pickup at https://app.charitybo.fi. Clear instructions are provided on the page.
Our driver is an immigrant who has recently started their career in Finland. They may not yet speak Finnish very well.
We collect bottles on three weekdays, from 8:00 to 18:00. You book each pickup separately at a time that suits you — for most offices once a month or less often is enough.
Currently, we offer the service in Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen, and Vantaa.
Every pickup gives a share to the charity you choose. The rest keeps the service running — the driver's salary and taxes, fuel, vehicle upkeep, insurance, bags and containers. On a small pickup the trip itself takes up most of the deposit, so the charity's share is smaller; the more bottles you bring together, the larger that share, reaching a full 50/50 split from about three bags in one pickup. CharityBo is a non-profit and takes no profit for itself.
Yes. You choose your charity during registration and can change it whenever you like. Every pickup sends a share to that charity, and the more bottles in a single pickup, the larger the share — from about three bags it reaches the classic 50/50 split.
You can see the number of recycled bottles from your account, the transfer, and the payment date to your chosen charity.
The operation does not require a fundraising permit. This has been confirmed by the licensing department of the Kilo Police Station in Espoo. Upon request, we can provide a copy of the response
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