Seenons is now active in the Belgian waste market: Stijn Smetsers about the first steps towards a European Platform
For nearly four years, Seenons has been committed to achieving a world without waste. While we've made significant strides in the Netherlands, it is our big ambition to be the European solution for organizations who want to reduce their waste and work towards a circular economy.
On August 11th, we took our first step toward establishing a European platform by acquiring Recycling Partners Belgium (RPB). This move has made us operational in Belgium! With the shared belief in earning money by actually reducing waste, we are driven to collaboratively rescue half a megaton of waste from incineration by 2026. Thanks to the synergy between RPB's strength in service and Seenons' prowess in technology, we can now offer Belgian clients enhanced dashboarding, while our Dutch clients benefit from RPB's additional waste expertise.
CEO Joost Kamermans previously shared his insights on Seenons' internationalization. But what has the acquisition been like for RPB founder Stijn Smetsers? And how does he view the collaboration between Seenons and RPB? We asked Stijn himself!
What mission did you start RPB with?
After spending 10 years in international logistics services (3PL and pallet pooling), I began working at a major paper waste collector and processor in Belgium. There, I dealt with a broad range of tasks from administration & planning to overall organizational and commercial activities. In this role, I often visited customers and prospects, giving me a solid understanding of market needs over five years.
I noticed many companies struggled with organizing their waste management; they were challenged by complex legal frameworks, reporting obligations and practical issues such as organizing source sorting in their production, warehouse, or office environments. They also had difficulty with choosing the right logistics partners and processors based on sustainability, quality, and compliance needs.
‘I noticed many companies struggled with organizing their waste management’
Moreover, it struck me that waste management was often only addressed when the waste is already there. Organizations order a container, fill it up, and have it collected and processed without truly understanding what will happen with the waste. To make waste and materials management more sustainable and as circular as possible, it's crucial to start from the beginning. This approach allows for different choices that prevent waste, such as designing reusable products or reducing packaging. Furthermore, sorting waste both locally and centrally before processing can enhance the quality and composition of materials, increase the chances of reuse, repair, or recycling, and simultaneously extract more value from these materials. Although Belgian legislation demands this approach, I saw that traditional waste companies did not have the time to work on this: they were already overwhelmed with logistics, sorting, and processing tasks.
Seeing a gap, I launched Recycling Partners Belgium BV (RPB) in 2019 to act as an extension of waste producers and collectors/processors. This created a triad where collaboration effectively leads to sustainability and efficiency improvements in waste and materials management across various companies and organizations throughout Belgium.
Looking for a 'Partner in Crime'
By early 2023, after four years, RPB had reached a crossroads. We had grown into a team of about ten colleagues, expanding our network to over 135 partners, covering more than 220 locations, and organizing the disposal and processing of nearly 40,000 tons of waste and materials.
Our ambitions, however, extended further. On one hand, we aimed to assist more clients without proportionally increasing our team size, focusing on efficiency, digitalization, and automation. On the other hand, our international clients frequently requested services across multiple countries with reports compliant with European regulations, essential data insights, and support in sustainable waste and materials management.
To fulfill these ambitions, we were looking for a 'partner in crime' who could offer real added value, not just financially but also in terms of digitalization, internationalization, and a robust data proposition aligned with ESG/CSRD regulations.
Somewhere in 2021, I first noticed the name 'Seenons' on LinkedIn. The waste sector is a small world, even at the Benelux level. When a new player appears, it stands out. Their innovative approach and ambitious goals caught my eye, leading me to follow Seenons. When we seriously started looking for our 'partner in crime,' we got in touch with Seenons, and right from the first conversation, they fit the bill. At the same time, I noticed that our service-oriented approach seemed to resonate well with them. Our combination of hands-on service and the tech platform for circular waste management might just be the key to success for the both of us. To cut a long story short: we decided to join forces, making 1 + 1 = 3!!
1 + 1 = 3
Several months have passed since our partnership began, and we are now well-integrated. We continue to learn from each other on a daily basis about how we can assist our clients in the Benelux and beyond in terms of:
- Making impact
- Fair Pricing
- Hassle free service
- Compliance
Since our collaboration began, we have set even sharper joint ambitions. Within the next two years, we aim to be active in at least five additional countries and become the leading platform for circular waste and materials management in Europe!
