WILLEMSTAD – A dispute over the ownership and management of a recycling initiative in Curaçao has escalated after recycling company ZZIIN accused Frans van der Post, better known as the Kunuku Man, of financial mismanagement during a pilot project. The allegations follow Van der Post's claims that the Dutch company took over his recycling initiative and excluded him and his employees from its operations.
In a press statement sent to Curaçao.nu on Wednesday, ZZIIN rejected Van der Post's account of the situation and maintained that the recycling project had belonged to ZZIIN Curaçao from the beginning.
The company also alleged that an external financial investigation uncovered unauthorized and irresponsible spending involving company funds during the pilot phase.
Van der Post has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with developments surrounding the project, which was established to encourage residents to collect and deliver recyclable materials in exchange for financial compensation.
Conflicting Claims Over Ownership
The controversy became public after Van der Post spoke to the Antilliaans Dagblad, which published an article on Tuesday, November 10.
According to Van der Post, his initiative, Kunuku Man Recycle, was taken over by ZZIIN Recycle, leaving him and his employees sidelined.
He maintains that the cooperation did not develop according to the original arrangements and has indicated that the disagreement could result in legal proceedings.
ZZIIN strongly disputes this version of events.
The company insists that no takeover occurred because the recycling initiative was conceived, established, financed, and operated under ZZIIN Curaçao from the outset.
According to ZZIIN, it financed the warehouse, machinery, personnel, and payments to residents participating in the recycling program.
The company claims Van der Post did not invest his own money in the project and did not operate an independent recycling business that could have been acquired.
ZZIIN further maintains that the name Kunuku Man Recycle was used within its corporate structure and that all contracts, resources, and activities remained under the responsibility of ZZIIN Curaçao.
The company explained that Van der Post was invited to participate because of his longstanding environmental activities and his public efforts to combat littering across Curaçao.
As a gesture of appreciation for his contribution to environmental awareness, the pilot project was initially associated with his name.
Van der Post, however, maintains that he and his employees had developed the recycling initiative and that ZZIIN subsequently took control of the activities.
The conflicting accounts have not been independently resolved.
Company Alleges Unauthorized Spending
The disagreement has taken a more serious turn following ZZIIN's allegations concerning the financial management of the pilot project.
According to the company, an external financial investigation concluded that Van der Post had made unauthorized and financially irresponsible expenditures using ZZIIN funds.
ZZIIN spokesperson Chris van den Heuvel stated that the findings prompted the company to terminate its cooperation with Van der Post and continue the recycling activities under its own name.
The company said it had initially intended to handle the financial concerns privately but decided to address them publicly after Van der Post discussed the dispute with the Antilliaans Dagblad.
However, ZZIIN did not include the financial investigation report with its press statement.
Consequently, the allegations have not been independently verified. The identity of the investigators, the amounts allegedly involved, and the specific expenditures being questioned have not been disclosed.
ZZIIN maintains that its contractual and financial position is clear and says it is confident about the outcome of any potential legal proceedings.
The allegations remain claims made by the company and should not be interpreted as established findings of wrongdoing by Van der Post.
Kunuku Man Was the Public Face of the Initiative
The recycling initiative attracted public attention earlier this year when Van der Post promoted a system through which residents could receive money for collecting recyclable waste.
In July, he publicly presented plans to collect plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and glass.
Reports at the time referred to cooperation with the Dutch holding company Egin and support from recycling company Renewi.
On July 16, Van der Post announced that residents would be able to receive compensation for recyclable materials beginning in August.
Under the announced arrangement, participants could receive one guilder per kilogram of plastic bottles and 1.25 guilders per kilogram of aluminum cans.
Payments were expected to be processed digitally through Sentoo.
Earlier reports prominently featured Van der Post as the public representative of the project, while ZZIIN was not specifically identified by name.
However, his public role does not by itself establish who legally owned the initiative or financed its operations.
Recycling Operations to Resume December 4
Despite the dispute, ZZIIN says it intends to continue developing its recycling activities in Curaçao.
The company announced that its public collection points will reopen on December 4, allowing residents to resume delivering recyclable materials.
ZZIIN also plans to announce in December which local charitable organization will receive donation funds collected during the pilot project.
In addition, the company intends to open its own glass recycling facility in January 2027.
According to ZZIIN, the facility will process collected glass into sand that can be reused locally, including in construction activities.
For now, the conflict between ZZIIN and Van der Post remains unresolved, with both parties maintaining opposing accounts of the project's ownership and the circumstances surrounding the termination of their cooperation.
Meanwhile, ZZIIN says it will proceed with its recycling plans, beginning with the reopening of its collection points in December.