“Impossible is only temporary” – Muhammad Ali

Global waste management is a huge industry worth $400Billion a year but it’s not very transparent. There’s a lot of waste is ending up where it shouldn’t and the outcomes are not great.

Michael Groves and Topolytics saw an opportunity to mix data with reporting to create a smart grid for the worlds commercial and industrial waste. #WasteTech

“Our goal is to create a global, granular high quality dataset on what the waste material is, where is goes and what happens to it so people can make better quality decisions and we’re managing our waste more effectively. We need to take more responsibility as to what happens to our waste.”

Key Takeaways

• We started out thinking we were one thing and have explored things along the way because the market wasn’t ready when we launched.
• Build slowly but build well and build close to the market so you have a good product/market fit. Build close to the market instead of just getting something out there.
• People just looked at me and thought i was a tree hugger – they didn’t take me as seriously as they do today since all the media hype.
• It’s your customers that will drive the growth of your business.
• Look at grants and funding options that are out there to help you – you just need to go out there and look for the help. There’s a lot out there.
• CSR really means Common Sense Really
• Whilst there was a lot of interest, there wasn’t enough real commercial pain so we spent a lot of time learning and running projects to better understand the market so the business has evolved a lot since we started.
• Team up with other organisations to help you achieve your goals.
• Shy retiring wall flowers need not apply – you HAVE to put yourself out there in order to grow. Look for awards and competitions you can enter, don’t be afraid to ruffle a few feathers either.
• There’s no substitute for networking.
• Get yourself a good PR Freelancer that knows what they are doing and be creative with your photography so you can stand out. Don’t be afraid to be different so that you can be remembered and known for what you’re doing.
• Be open to challenge and find people that will challenge your assumptions and help you grow.

Mentioned Links and References:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/topolytics

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelanthonygroves/

Website: https://www.topolytics.com

Ocean plastic leadership summit
The Ellen McArthur Foundation
Zero Waste Scotland
Innovate UK