My most recent client is Quantum Waste, a small waste management business with big ambition to save the environment and create local jobs.
The first thing which strikes me when I enter Quantum Waste recycling facilities, is almost clinical cleanliness and absence of unpleasant smells. There are carefully arranged piles or bags of sorted paper, plastic, cans and other stuff. I look into containers with food waste - it smells nice with fresh soil. The company's staff wears tidy uniforms and gloves.
It doesn't occur to me that the table in front of me is for sorting waste, so I put my cup of tea on it. 'Please don't put it there!', I hear from Javier Rojo, the Founding Director of Quantum Waste. For a second I think that he stops me from littering his desk, but the waste sorting demonstration on the same table proves that he was more worried about the hygiene...
'I never imagined that dealing with waste could be such a clean job', I am genuinely surprised.
'I would never ask my staff to do things which I wouldn't do myself', responds Javier.
Javier Rojo is not an ordinary enterprenuer. On one hand, he has vast experience in financial services industry where he worked to build portfolios of investments in green technologies. On the other hand he is an engineer, an inventor and a hands-on manager. But in any capacity, he believes that his business idea could change the world for better. How? His philosophy for the business is minimum impact on carbon emissions, new jobs for areas where waste is collected, and very high recovery rates where no waste goes to incinerator or wasteland. You can learn how this is achieved by watching this VIDEO.
Quantum Waste adopts fundamentally different approach compared to large waste management companies who require significant investment, lengthy construction process and bureaucratic approvals before anything can be recycled. Javier believes that recycling spots can be organised quickly and absolutely anywhere. All you need is locally employed people, franchised process & technology, and a few pieces of inexpensive equipment provided by the head office. This is a labour intensive way of waste recycling, but the benefits are obvious - better recovery rates with more waste being converted into new products and more local jobs.
But it is not only green credentials which attracted existing Quantum Waste clients. It is also competitive and simple pricing structure with no prepayments, standing charges or any other hidden fees. You pay per collected bag directly to the person who collects it. And, more importantly, full traceability of the collected waste. All waste is processed locally without intermediaries, and goes back either to the local farmers as high quality organic fertiliser or to the nearest recycling plants.
If you are responsible for facilities management or you are a business owner who cares about the environment, ask yourself these questions:
- How Green is our recycling?
- What happens to our waste when it is collected?
- Is our recycling as green as we think it is?
If you cannot answer some of these questions, perhaps it is time to reconsider your waste management practices.
For more information please go to quantumwaste.com and watch VIDEO 'How green is your recycling?' CLICK HERE.