Rubicon Global Joins Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy 100

In another sign of corporations’ growing support for the circular economy, Rubicon Global is the latest company to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy 100.

The CE100 is a coalition of corporates, governments and cities, academic institutions and innovators that have pledged to promote the circular economy and eliminate waste. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched the US chapter of the CE100 in March 2016. The international chapter, established in 2013, includes brands such as Google, Cisco, Coca-Cola, eBay, Apple, Novelis, IBM and others.

Rubicon is joining as an “emerging innovator” and says it will bring insights on technology, data and its disruptive approach to the global waste industry to the coalition.

Rubicon works with its customers, including many Fortune 500 companies, small and medium businesses, and municipalities, to find new efficiencies and cost-savings in their waste streams and to develop ways to reduce, re-use and recycle waste.

The waste management company’s technology connects businesses and cities with independent commercial garbage haulers. Once its haulers get the trash, Rubicon then works with its vendor network to recycle, repurpose or convert to energy the materials it has collected, diverting it from landfills.

Its app optimizes routers for haulers, which saves them gas and saves businesses money on waste hauling costs. And it provides real-time data on recycling rates, helping companies to track progress towards environmental management goals, while letting corporations schedule on-demand pickups and change their service.

As a part of CE100, Rubicon hopes to “help further the creation of systems, processes, jobs and infrastructure to design with the next use in mind, for both post-consumer and post-industrial waste.”

In other circular economy advances, Nike has developed new sustainable packaging for its shoes made entirely of post-consumer materials such as milk and orange juice containers, and morning coffee lids.

Also Dell has developed the technology industry’s first packaging trays made with 25 percent recycled ocean plastic content.