The lack of data is one of the main reasons we have yet to solve the world’s 2 billion tonne waste problem. But what do we mean by that?

Commercial properties, for instance, have different recycling systems that facilitate waste sorting. Plastic and cardboard waste may be sorted in separate containers, and some have solutions for handling food waste. But as soon as a resident throws something in one of the containers, we lose valuable information that could be used to reward and encourage increased recycling efforts.

Who threw the waste? How much did it weigh? Answers to questions like these are lost in a 

Collecting and systemizing data about waste gives us what we at Carrot call “circularity data.” Circularity data is all the information that tells us something about what was thrown, how much it was, and who threw it. The term derives from what is made possible through this data - 

enabling of more resources to become circular.

We can do amazing things when we have a current overview of available resources, whether it’s at a business-, building-, or household level. What’s unique about circularity data is that it allows us to take action 

 resources become waste and loses its value.

An increasing number of companies use recycled materials to produce their products and are willing to pay for stable access to this resource. Circularity data provides an overview of how much of a resource is available at a given time, laying the foundation for new sources of revenue for companies that possess clean waste fractions.

 that 70% of textile waste could be fiber-to-fiber recycled, but today only 1% is. Their analysis shows that the circular textile industry - once matured - could have a profit pool of between €1.5 and €2.2 billion. Circularity data can play a vital role in enabling circularity in the textile industry.  Carrot can track the 

how much textile waste will be available at any given time

 by nudging behavior, thereby opening the door to new business opportunities and income sources for its owner.

#2 We can target action to improve sorting and reduce waste

Circularity data gives us an overview of how much we produce of different types of waste, making it possible to identify areas of improvement. For instance, if we notice an increase in the amount of waste produced at a specific time - be it a specific day of the week or a seasonal occurrence - we can use this information to investigate the cause and target follow-up actions to create a change. If a business premise offers variable rental fees based on waste, improvement can reduce your company’s costs.

#3 We can measure the environmental impact - and reduce it

A complete overview of your business's waste makes it possible to measure your environmental footprint. By connecting various data sources, Carrot can compare and create reports linked to recycling rates across branches, buildings, or other company-specific segments.  This makes it easier to track the environmental impact of waste generated by your company, comply with sustainability reporting requirements, and use this information to make better decisions.

At a shopping mall in Bergen, some tenants were able to 

 after implementing Carrot. Through information and incentives for better sorting, employees handling waste were made aware of the impact of their own efforts.

While handling waste is undeniably linked to financial costs, it is also linked to environmental costs. Wasting resources that could have found their way back into the system have enormous ramifications for our planet, as it means we have to extract more resources unnecessarily.

Circularity data is all information about what type of waste was thrown, how much it was, and who threw it. For businesses, it offers a great number of benefits. 

Want to learn more?

What is circularity data, and how does it benefit your business?

Coffee grounds are a mushroom’s best friend

Did you know that Norwegians drink 13 million cups of coffee every day*? And where coffee is drunk, huge amounts of coffee grounds are produced. And wasted.

Coffee grounds provide the perfect substrate for growing oyster mushrooms. The substrate is the material the mushroom grows in, and the reason is that the 

, the vegetative part of the mushroom that consists of a mass of branching, is able to feed off the nutritious coffee grounds.

Hella Sopperi, a local producer of oyster mushrooms in Bergen, needs large amounts of fresh coffee grounds for its production. Since the coffee grounds used for growing need to be fresh and because it all too often ends up as waste in the bin, the producer is reliant on a solid overview of available grounds. They are also dependent on creating awareness with the employees in shops that produce a lot of coffee grounds. 

310 kilos of coffee grounds are produced at Vestkanten Storsenter

. Together with Carrot, Hella has started a pilot project collecting all the grounds from producers of the valuable resource at Vestkanten Storsenter. 

Psst! Did you know that coffee grounds can also be used to create clothes and other materials such as soap? 

Our software collects data about what resources are available for reuse, recycling, or repurposing. In this series of articles, we explore the journeys of resources we help back to the cycle.

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What is circularity data, and how does it benefit your business?

From waste to resource: Coffee grounds to freshly grown oyster mushrooms ☕️