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Start-up develops trading platform for industrial waste

The Swiss start-up RethinkResource is committed to sustainability: it thinks that industrial processes should be optimized so that waste is not thrown away but integrated into other value chains. Its solution for this is Circado, an online trading platform. In the following interview, CEO Linda Grieder talks about the need for sustainability in the economy and digital trade with industrial by-products.

RethinkResource develops trading platform for industrial by-products
RethinkResource develops trading platform for industrial by-products

Linda Grieder, you founded RethinkResource in 2016 to promote the recycling economy. To what extent are sustainable solutions such as the Circado trading platform a must for companies?
The continued use of industrial by-products as valuable resources not only makes sense from a sustainable perspective, but also from an economic perspective. Not disposing of by-products, or only recovering them in a low-order manner, creates added value on many levels. The use of industrial by-products at their highest possible value thus represents an interesting business case for buyers and sellers. Furthermore, positioning oneself as a sustainable producer is becoming more and more important.

What exactly is Circado? How does the marketplace work?
Circado has implemented a demand-driven market mechanism. This means that buyers of by-products make a purchase request on Circado for wanted raw material. In addition, sellers of by-products can register them on the platform. Circado then matches potential partners. This enables cross-industry partnerships to be forged, which would not otherwise have been possible, in order to create maximum added value.

Through my work and energy, I want to contribute to a sustainable future for us and for future generations.

How brisk is trade on the online marketplace?
The trading platform has only been on the market as a prototype since the spring of 2018, but is already being used by countless members. Since it is currently still a prototype and is constantly being updated, it is currently free to use. As a company, however, we have been working on by-product valorization projects with customers from various industries since 2016. In our projects, we concern ourselves with new product developments for by-products and are active throughout Europe in this regard. 

Why is it important to you personally to work for a better environment and less waste?
Through my work and energy, I want to contribute to a sustainable future for us and for future generations. It is particularly important to me that my work contributes an added value to society. With RethinkResource I have found a way to do this and at the same time really enjoy my work.

For which industries is RethinkResource particularly interesting?
Cross-industry solutions are the key factor! At the moment we are most strongly represented in the food, packaging, cosmetics, chemical and textile industries. But we don't want to set any limits here.

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