Digital collection and analysis of waste data TRANSPARENCY PAYS OFF For businesses, efficient waste management is a key pillar of a circular economy. Done right, it not only saves costs, but also reduces CO₂ emissions. A growing number of companies has recognized the potential of a centralized, systematic collection and analysis of waste data. Meike Lessau, circularity manager at Resourcify, knows that this had not been the case for a long time: “Waste is often neglected if it has nothing to do with the core product. Companies simply want to get rid of it quickly so that they can concentrate on the essentials of their business activities.” The Hamburg-based start-up, which is already active in seven European countries, helps supermarkets, DIY stores, airports, hospitals, and production facilities in a wide range of industries to manage their waste digitally and facilitate communication with waste disposal companies. The data is centrally collected on a platform in order to make transparent where the waste is generated and how it can be better recycled and perhaps even reduced. As a first step, customers enter their basic data on details such as container locations, responsibilities for waste collection, and emptying intervals. Resourcify works with a partner network of over 450 waste disposal companies, which businesses can commission or whose services they can cancel on the platform with just a few clicks if, for example, waste containers are not full yet. “In the end, participating waste disposal companies use their own interfaces to upload the data on the quantities collected to the platform and store corresponding proof, including in the form of PDF documents,” explains Lessau. This helps a branch company to quickly see how full garbage containers were at various locations at pick-up time and draw conclusions as to whether replacement intervals or container sizes provided by a particular branch need to be adjusted to either boost their material revenue or to cut transportation costs and therefore emissions. The Czech start-up Cyrkl has also set out to optimize waste management for businesses, but takes it a step further. Cyrkl has created a digital marketplace where Screenshots Resourcify 27
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