Anywise was thrilled to attend the Australian Waste & Recycling Expo (AWRE) in Sydney this week.
AWRE plays host to a multitude of exhibitors, from larger international corporations to smaller local start-ups. All companies, no matter their size, are given the opportunity to present their new and innovative waste & recycling solutions, and to connect with likeminded companies for further development of their products or business.
Alongside Bernadene Voss of Big Group Hug, Anywise was represented at AWRE by Chris MacKellar and Ryan Gagnon. Chris Mackellar is the resident expert on Circular Economy within Anywise (Read here to learn more about the Circular Economy). He has been working to develop a Circular Economy service within Anywise. Ryan is one of the newest members to join the Anywise ranks. As a Graduate Computer Scientist, Ryan was interested in the technological aspects of all innovations on display.
Over the past two days, Chris and Ryan forged connections with many new and exciting innovators and learned a great deal about the waste & recycling industry. One seminar in particular struck a chord. It addressed the struggle of getting small-to-medium enterprises to engage in recycling and circular economy practices as it's simply not cost-effective. The speakers are advocating for state and local government to provide incentives or make responsible waste and recycling management more viable for such businesses.
Some notable innovations on display included AI-enhanced bins, waste-tracking software, automatic waste sorting systems, and solar panel recycling processes.
Anywise hopes to collaborate further with many of the companies we met at the event. Whether by engaging them in a professional capacity, or employing their innovations in our home and office spaces.