E-waste specialist Scipher Technologies is putting the “G” into ESG (environmental, social and governance) reporting.
Scipher Technologies, with current operations in Melbourne and Perth and plans to expand to Sydney, aims to lead the way in responsible e-waste management through safe and advanced raw material recovery processes providing circular economy-driven outcomes.
The company’s newly developed waste tracking and reporting system, Sciphertech allows for full traceability of e-waste throughout the recycling process, generating transparent and verifiable reports on performance and outcomes for clients and partners.
Chris Sayers, Executive Director of the firm, says the Sciphertech system puts his company ahead of the game.
“The recycling industry is developing rapidly in Australia,” Chris says. “The provision of accurate and auditable data will help avoid the risk of green washing across the industry.
“At the core of Sciphertech is governance. We take governance and reporting seriously and are making sure that the information we release to the market, regulators and our clients is fully verifiable.
“We’re raising the bar of expectations that clients can have of the recycling industry.”
Australia is one of the world’s largest producers of e-waste per person, but most of it still ends up in landfill or is traded overseas at end-of-life.
Victoria, South Australia, and the ACT have all banned e-waste from landfill in a bid to encourage resource recovery as Australia transitions to a circular economy. Other states are expected to follow suit.
Chris says Scipher Technologies operates some of the most advanced and commercially proven waste processing technology available.
The company works with waste management companies, councils, schools, large corporate and small-to-medium businesses to help them achieve circular-economy-driven solutions for their end-of-life products, in the form of recycling, product stewardship and material recovery targets.
He says that as investors and businesses increasingly put more emphasis on ESG aspects of their operations, clients are seeking to understand what happens to their materials after they’re sent to a recycling facility. “They want to see the outcomes,” he says.
“Clients are expecting a high level of reporting and details.”
Enter, Sciphertech. Tailored to track waste through complex recycling and de-manufacturing processes, Sciphertech provides clients a detailed report that can include an analysis of different types of e-waste processed, what category and quantities of materials are recovered, where the material ends up downstream, and what that equates to in diversion from landfill.
“For every 100 kilograms of waste that we process, we reconcile back and track exactly where it ends up,” Chris says.
“We can set up tailored reports for customers to feed into their own ESG reporting requirements. We can easily capture the right data when different types of waste enter our facilities, and provide it back in meaningful and accessible formats for clients.
“Collating, analysing and generating reports that are verifiable is critical for us.”
Chris says the Sciphertech information system was developed because there was no off-the-shelf product that could provide the level of detail the company was seeking. Management worked with a software development partner to custom build the system with the functionality needed now, but also has ability to adapt and update it as market and regulatory requirements change.
It’s taken about six months to get the system to the stage where the first detailed reports are being produced. The system is under continuous development and will soon be able to provide verifiable carbon abatement data at a batch-processing level.
“We recently presented Sciphertech and its capabilities to an ASX-100 listed company that is keen to adopt the system for its own ESG reporting purposes,” Chris says.
He says it’s the quality of data able to be extracted that sets Sciphertech apart. Scipher Technologies uses dry and mechanical recycling technology, opposed to energy-intensive or chemical-based processes. This means that when material is processed through each step of the separation and recovery process it remains in a constant state, and can be quantified.
Materials recovered include ferrous metals such as steel and iron; non-ferrous valuable metals such as copper, aluminium and zinc; precious metals; glass; plastics; and printed circuit boards.
“When we report back to clients that we’re achieving a particular material recovery rate, it’s all verifiable,” Chris says. “We don’t lose any material throughout processing.”
Sciphertech’s ability to provide in-depth analysis is already shifting the way clients think about their e-waste and the potential for circular economy solutions.
One client now understands the plastic content of their waste and is searching for re-manufacturing solutions. Chris says not only does the client now understand the composition of the product they’re recycling, but they know the type of plastic and the solutions that are available for value added uses of their recovered materials. Sciphertech has been key to discussions with a specialist manufacturer in formulating a solution to use the recovered plastics for input into new products.
“We wouldn’t be in that position without this data,” Chris says. “It’s about raising the bar, keeping the industry moving forward and advancing the circular economy.”
For more information, visit: www.scipher.com.au
