Powering a World With No Waste

Circular Innovation Profiles is our feature series that showcases innovators and individuals that are helping to accelerate Canada’s circular economy by adopting circular business models and solutions.

04/08/2021

When asked what the vision of Diversys is, Roger Barlow, Co-Founder and CEO, is clear: A world with no waste. Could it be that simple? Diversys’ Vice-President of Sales, Richard Sheppard thinks so.

Most of us know that the current linear economy does not work, and more efficient solutions need to be put in place if we are going to solve our waste problem around the globe. The concept of a circular economy makes people think differently.

Diversys is working to lead the charge by setting their sights on zero-waste through innovation and creativity. And, for Diversys, there are two primary pillars to circularity: products are continually recovered in a never-endling loop, and waste is a thing of the past.

So how do we get there? For Diversys it starts with data.

Organizations are doing their best to track recycling and recovery activities. For many, tracking is a simple paper form that service providers – like collectors, haulers and processors – fill out to indicate what work they have performed, says Mark Jamensky, Chief Product Officer, Diversys. These forms are then sent up the chain to be entered into a data management tool, like Excel, or custom software. In these types of systems, error or fraud can be an issue, and security-safeguards are virtually non-existent, which means poor-quality data can be passed on to organizations managing complex programs. The result is that no one has a clear, accurate picture of what recovery activities are taking place to support the principles of a circular economy.

What makes Diversys different? Diversys’ recycling and waste management software helps organizations track high quality data, so they know they are meeting obligations and performance targets. This end-to-end solution gives users the visibility they need to make informed decisions, offer stable data to stakeholders, and run their programs well. Their flexible workflow software is designed to collect reliable data and make paper-based tracking a thing of the past.

The Diversys platform is accessed through a mobile app that records data in the field and transmits it to the cloud, where collaborators can also view and analyze transactions in real-time. From the collection point to processing site, authorized users share the same platform to capture, store, and access, relevant data. From the main dashboard users can also generate reports and monitor performance, which allows them to calculate their facility footprint at any given time.

To be a practitioner of circularity, we need to understand that the quality of the data lies in the details, continues Mark. We need quality data at the most minute levels, from individual recovery activities to processing, because it feeds into the bigger picture. Data is an asset, and when you have reliable data at your collective fingertips it supports informed decisions where circularity can be leveraged to support economic, environmental, and social goals.

Diversys’ circular business model, Product (Software) as Service allows companies to forgo owning IT infrastructure, which helps reduce internal footprints of hardware and electricity use. It also utilizes Sharing Platform by promoting collaboration between a variety of users across supply and value chains. Most importantly, Diversys core function is to help clients manage Resource Recovery through robust data tracking at every step.

For the circular economy to truly take hold we need to reimagine how we approach the global issue of solid waste management and connect like-minded people. Innovation is what will ultimately lead to waste and carbon reductions, along with greater awareness and community collaboration, concludes Mark.

At the end of the day, social conscience is the driving force to the circular economy, and we look forward to working with Circular Innovation Council and its members to achieve what’s possible.