A Dutch company called Seenons has developed a solution that aims to tackle waste management with an online platform that helps organizations reduce waste, reuse and recycle sustainably. To that end, Seenons total solution (as they call it) connects all the players in the waste chain — including the organizations with waste, logistics companies, and processors/producers who turn waste into valuable resources and new products.
The problem, as we all know, is huge. In Seenons’ home turf of the Netherlands alone, 2.75 megaton, or 76 million wheelie bins, of company waste is incinerated or ends up in landfills. EU-wise, 4.8 tonnes of waste were generated per inhabitant in 2020.
Seenons wants to change that and reuse as much waste as possible to eventually help build a world without waste and a circular economy by 2050.
Organizations looking to participate in this scheme can use the platform to find the best logistical companies and processors to turn their waste into valuable new raw materials. Seenons gives them insights into what happens to their waste and advise them on how to reduce their CO2 and reduce costs. The platform will also help these organizations reduce, reuse and recycle without disrupting existing processes or requiring large investments.
Logistics partners also get to benefit from arranging more volume per route and more stops per hour. This, in turn, allows them to transport waste with maximum route density from A to B. These companies will also get insights into results so that they can improve their logistical activities and optimize processes.
Finally, processors get to benefit from receiving high-quality waste streams. Seenons will help them with purchasing waste materials and receiving insights into the chain — so that together they can give waste a new life.
In April 2023, the company raised €10 million for further development of its circular platform, which happens to be Europe’s largest. The investors included Invest-NL, CapitalT., Tablomonto, Swiss Post and Shamrock Ventures.
“With this funding we want to enable higher steps on the R-ladder: Reduce / Reuse / Recycle, in multiple countries across Europe. We will invest heavily in our leading European circular platform, an independent platform that serves as a waste orchestrator to transform the economy from linear to circular,” said Martin Kayser, co-founder of Seenons and CTO.
Partners from Europe can join the platform, with the mission to bring people together for a waste-free world.
Takeaway
Action point
If you work in a European municipality with a waste problem, you may want to contact Seenons and see how you can help them promote their service in your town/city. By promoting among your constituents, you get to reduce the local waste and ultimately - improve the livelihood of residents. Plus, such an initiative could also prove beneficial to your own career as you would be seen as someone working to tackle the waste problem. On the other hand, if you're not based in Europe - perhaps you can copy parts of the Seenons' system and launch a local version of such a platform.
Although Seenons platform aims to remove intermediaries from the equation, there could still be room for those looking to help all interested parties tackle the waste problem. It could come in some form of a consulting job or could help orchestrate logistics companies and processors/producers maximize their revenues. Waste is a big problem and there has to be room for another company helping everyone in the waste management chain. You just have to find it.