PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SUEZ and Rubicon Global today announced a groundbreaking strategic partnership to revolutionize the waste industry. As a pioneer of the application of connected and digital solutions to the sustainable management of secondary resources, SUEZ is pursuing its strategy to develop new services, in particular in recycling and waste recovery. SUEZ led Rubicon’s current funding round which has raised more than $50 million.
Rubicon is a cloud-based, full-service waste and recycling company focused on sustainability. It works with customers, including many Fortune 500 companies, small and medium businesses, and municipalities, to find inefficiencies and cost-savings in their waste streams and to develop new and innovative ways to reduce, re-use and recycle waste.
This partnership, which combines Rubicon’s innovative model with SUEZ’s experience of sustainable resource management, will open the way for the deployment of innovative and effective solutions on the US and European markets.
SUEZ and Rubicon will partner on technology and data, accelerating the development and deployment of Rubicon’s proprietary cloud-based hauler management platform, customer portal and mobile apps. SUEZ will use Rubicon’s technology in their fleet of vehicles which will help modernize and transform their collection business. In addition, the partnership will focus on improving service for municipalities through smart city innovation, helping city governments improve residential waste and recycling services through data collection and analysis, as well as fleet optimization and efficiency.
In Europe, SUEZ aims to accelerate the digital transformation of its Recycling & Recovery Division, by improving its customer portal and creating digital platforms dedicated to scattered waste volumes. The aim is to optimize the collection of small quantities of waste produced by many customers who are geographically dispersed.
While much of the waste industry is moving away from a linear to a more virtuous circular model, waste disposal methods are still mainly used in the United States. Rubicon challenges this model and SUEZ follows with interest the evolutions to come on this market.
“SUEZ is developing its offer to propose disruptive models and solutions in response to its customers’ needs and in favour of the circular economy. We are proud that Rubicon Global has become one of our expert partners. Together, we will add a new dimension to waste management both sides of the Atlantic, that is ever more digital and efficient, for a sustainable protection of resources,” declared Jean-Marc Boursier, SUEZ’s Group Senior Executive VP in charge of Recycling & Recovery in Europe.
“This is a new day for the global waste and recycling industry and an extraordinary opportunity to change the world,” said Nate Morris, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Rubicon Global. “Waste is an issue that affects every single person living on the planet. Through technology and innovation, we can make it less expensive and more responsible, and this partnership with SUEZ will help us do just that. With their international reach, incredible longevity as a company, and commitment to innovation and a sustainable future, SUEZ is a perfect strategic partner for Rubicon and I am particularly happy to have Jean-Marc as a new board member of the Company,” said Morris.
SUEZ
We are at the dawn of the resource revolution. In a world facing high demographic growth, runaway urbanization and the shortage of natural resources, securing, optimizing and renewing resources is essential to our future. SUEZ (Paris: SEV, Brussels: SEVB) supplies drinking water to 92 million people, delivers waste water treatment services to 65 million, recovers 16 million tons of waste each year and produces 7 TWh of local and renewable energy. With 82,530 employees, SUEZ, which is present on all five continents, is a key player in the sustainable management of resources. SUEZ generated total revenues of €15.1 billion in 2015.
Rubicon Global
Rubicon Global is the worldwide leader in sustainable, cloud-based waste and recycling solutions. Using its proprietary technology-enabled platform, the company provides comprehensive waste stream solutions that enable companies to reduce operating expenses and implement recycling programs. Rubicon’s goal is to create a more sustainable solution for businesses and the planet. Rubicon was founded in Kentucky in 2008. It is headquartered in Atlanta and has offices in Lexington, Ky., New York and San Francisco. The company, which employs more than 300, was recently named a Next Billion-Dollar Startup by Forbes and one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company. Rubicon is a finalist for The Circulars 2017 in two different categories: the Fortune Award for Circular Economy Leadership and the Ecolab Award for Circular Economy Digital Disruptor. Learn more at www.rubiconglobal.com.
