waste nothing
our story
I didn’t get into uni first time round, which was a bit of a shock. In my enforced gap year I was lucky enough to work on a project in Costa Rica, working with leatherback turtles which were under threat at the time from poachers, and more importantly, plastic waste in the sea.
This was literally a life-changing event for me, firing a passion for environmentalism. But after more than a decade working in the waste industry, I became frustrated with the speed of change. Yes, recycling rates have quadrupled for households, and it’s improved massively for businesses, but it still feels like an industry focussed on big trucks rather than being focussed on the customer. And the plastic in the oceans has just got worse.
A lucky coincidence in timing meant Claire and I both had the space at the same time to see if we could do something about these problems. And so Binit was born. In its first iteration Binit was an app for geo-tagging litter. It proved difficult to get enough data to make this valuable, but in the course of logging lots of litter we discovered that loads of it in Exeter comes from trade waste bags that are left on the street. These bags get ripped open and the resulting rubbish not only costs us as UK taxpayers a staggering £1billion a year, but also much ends up in the oceans. We believe there is a better way; Binit better!
Binit’s core aims are to get litter off the streets and to reduce heavy vehicle movements. We don’t run our own vehicles, but we own the bins and we’re developing tech in these bins. Each Binit bin has a unique QR code that takes you to our bespoke customer service platform. We support SMEs to share bins, getting those bags off the street, and giving access to a wider range of source-segregated recycling options (which means more gets recycled because it’s cleaner and therefore better quality). We have a network of licensed delivery drivers who can collect small quantities of dry recyclables quickly and efficiently when they are in your area, without the need for a diesel bin lorry doing 4mpg.
We are on the journey to a circular economy. We want to be honest about how we’re getting on so others can learn from our mistakes. We’re not perfect, but we are trying to do things differently. Come and join us!
Philippa
our beliefs…
Commercial waste needs to be dealt with in a different way. We believe in being kind, honest and choosing the best option, even if it’s the one that makes us less money. We are going through the process of becoming a B Corp to underwrite our commitment to these ideals.
Binit is a Living Wage employer. We believe in supporting new talent, so actively take interns from Exeter University and local schools every year and have an ongoing apprentice scheme in operation. We are working on our Carbon Net Zero plan right now, so check out our blog to follow our progress.
meet the team
We’re a lovely bunch of people with a particular passion for waste. Want to find out more or come and work with us? Give us a call, come round for a coffee, or ping us on social media.
Philippa Roberts
Philippa is an expert on the Circular Economy, supporting corporate clients with their operational strategy. In recent years she has spoken at the Foro Economia Circular in Uruguay, the World Circular Economy Forum in Helsinki and many local business events. She is passionate about finding a new way for our economy to function.
A recovering economist, Philippa is also a Chartered Waste Manager and a Fellow of the RSA.
Claire Harrold
Claire Harrold, co-founder and NED, lives in the leafy backwaters of London, with her partner, Robert and their cocker spaniel, Teddy. Claire is committed to purpose-driven business and has worked in sustainability for more than 20 years, inspired originally by becoming the Carbon Neutral Company’s first corporate client when she was Head of Marketing at Avis. Her career spans B2B, B2C and the public sector, working with start ups, scale ups and large corporates, specialising in business growth in the energy solutions and low carbon sector.
In Claire’s current role, for E.ON UK, she is helping to drive the de-carbonisation of our cities, building smart and sustainable energy systems that allow communities to connect and thrive. She’s an invaluable strategic resource on Binit’s all-female board.
partnerships, collaboration; working with others
We couldn’t do what we do without our partners. Because of them, we’ve been able to offer whole town recycling to businesses in Leominster and across the South West. And that’s just the start.
nerdy about data
The easy to use Binit app will give us all the information we need to help you recycle more and reduce what you are throwing away. #binitbetter.