Blockchain As A Service: Traceability In Waste Management

Traceability in waste management is a great ally for companies to reduce costs, minimize negative impacts on the environment, and be up to date with environmental regulations. For it to be done in an efficient way, it is necessary to have updated reliable data, preferably in one place.

GreenPlat is a Brazilian technology company which has developed a SaaS with blockchain-based architecture that covers the entire production chain, from the extraction of the raw material to the product to the final destination. We help our customers achieve zero landfills and increase recycling rates, offering full traceability and supporting environmental compliance. In addition, we are able to control other environmental KPIs, providing companies with a complete ESG dashboard in real time.

Since 2018, we have been a part of the World Economic Forum in the Pioneering Technology category, as we were the first company to use blockchain technology for waste traceability. In this article, I will explain how the use of blockchain works in the traceability of production chains and what benefits this brings to companies and the environment as a whole.

How waste management traceability works

Waste management is a very important process for industries. It enables companies to evaluate losses and gains during production and generate revenue by selling or buying recyclable materials. Furthermore, it helps ensure an adequate destination for post-production waste, preventing it from ending up in unsuitable, inappropriate, or even prohibited places – which would otherwise cause a big headache for those who are responsible.

To explain all the complexity that this process involves in a simpler way, we can say that basically the management of waste starts from the moment the production process ends. That’s when you ask yourself: What do I do with this part that I’m not going to use anymore?

In general, the producing companies separate the waste by type of material, weigh it, and then contact a specific carrier for the waste to deliver it to its final destination. However, during this process, it is necessary to assess whether the carrier has all their environmental licenses up to date and whether the receiving locations are duly certified and respect environmental standards and policies, like the National Policy Solid Waste (PNRS) in Brazil.

We know that it is very difficult to be sure of all this information and “bureaucracy” necessary for the proper disposal of waste. This is where blockchain technology comes in to facilitate the process, guaranteeing the necessary traceability.

Benefits of blockchain technology

The blockchain consists of a chain of information that is validated by all participating entities. Therefore, the more times an information is validated, the more secure it is.

In the same way it happens in the traceability process, when protected via a blockchain, all participating entities validate the information, meaning that the company that is delivering the waste to the carrier puts all the information in a digital document, the carrier validates that information and takes the material to the next entity, which can be a buyer of recyclables, a cooperative or a landfill. Upon arriving at the final destination, the recipient confirms that they indeed have received the waste.

At the end of this process, all information is documented and there should be no differences. This guarantees a high level of security and transparency – a necessity when it comes to traceability.

How GreenPlat ensures waste traceability using blockchain

GreenPlat’s BaaS (Blockchain as a Service) works exactly like I just described in the previous paragraphs. All stages of the waste traceability process, from the disposal by the generator to the waste’s final destination, are validated by all entities in the chain. The information is documented within our platform and can be accessed from any device, just requiring a login and password.

Furthermore, with GreenPlat it is possible to register and control environmentally appropriate transporters, storage facilities, and final destinations with access to their environmental licenses and certificates. This ensures that both the carrier that will transport and the company that will receive the waste are up to date with environmental legislation and compliance, in addition to attesting the reliability of entities and the process.

GreenPlat works with specific modules that make it possible to serve all entities in the production chain. Industries, businesses, carriers, service units, managers, and final destinations for solid waste can use our BaaS software and manage the entire production and supply chain from anywhere with internet access.

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