Innovation

Geminor is more than a waste trader company; it is a resource management business. Through the development of hubs, systems, and machines to treat materials, they "take a bigger step further into the chain of delivery" (Per Mernelius, personal communication, September 27, 2022).

Gemisoft is the heart of the business and a crucial tool for the organization to provide a reliable service of high quality to the customers. It is the software they developed to contain all relevant project data hence providing a detailed overview of them that includes all contracts, notifications, logistic operations, and deliveries.

But it should be noted that Geminor's innovation can also be found in the hubs themselves, the transporting conditions, and the waste treatment. They all help to increase the amount of residual waste that can be recycled by transporting it in gas-powered trucks so then the robot sorting plant carries out a detailed sorting: using infrared sensors and gripping arms waste such as wood, cardboard, stone, metal plastic, and ceramics are sorted into separate fractions. As a result of the annual 7000 tons of waste, only around 2000 tons of residual waste will remain that cannot be recycled. Using a robot sorting plant is one of the more modern sustainable options, offering several advantages. First, robot sorting creates completely pure and cleaner fractions that improve the final treatment of materials for recycling or energy recovery. Second, it enhances the quality of the bits used to produce new products (Steffen, 2021).

Both innovative projects emerged from the company's strength; their expertise and experience in waste handling solutions. Gemisoft was created due to how the exported volumes of waste increased considerably, so to keep track of 400000 or 500000 tons yearly in Excel led them to decide to make this database alongside a local Norwegian company. Now, this startup is used not only for tracking but also to create statistics for all tonnages collected and delivered, in addition to being used for invoicing and cost control. Plus, thanks to it, they do not use paper anymore.

On the other hand, the involvement of Geminor in robot sorting plants happened because of a five-year agreement for handling up to 35000 tonnes of residual waste in Norway.

Partnerships played a significant role in creating and driving Geminor's innovation since the goal is to provide the most sustainable waste treatment and logistics solutions in the market. For example, the Norwegian waste company "Renovasjon I Grenland" and Geminor agreed to handle tons of residual waste over five years. This waste will get to "Bjorstaddalen Nearing AS," another partner project involved because we can find the Scandinavian robot sorting plant where machines can separate everything into several recyclable fractions.

Also, it is essential to remember that this business is quite complex and highly regulated by European governments, so permits and lens must be constantly acquired. Therefore, they hired competent staff in logistics, economy, and business. In all the countries, they formed small teams to handle the operations.

Inspiration

Geminor, which initially was a subsidiary of the Danish Gemidan, was founded to provide services around waste processing treatment for the Norwegian waste and recovery market. In 2004, Geminor subsequently adopted an innovative approach, concentrating on exporting RDF (Refuse-Derived Fuel) from manufacturers of industrial waste in Norway for the cement industry. (Geminor, 2021)

Our interviewee has multiple years of experience working in the forestry industry in Germany and later at an electricity provider in Sweden. At that time, Per was working on the opposite side of Geminor. When he was requested to open a branch in Sweden, there was no hesitation. He felt inspired and motivated to face this challenge. The challenge of bringing this innovation to Sweden was his primary source of inspiration. Per’s previous knowledge in the area has contributed to a better understanding of what is required to manage such a complex company. Another motivating factor, according to Per, is Geminor’s “clear target to be even more sustainable,” as he explains in the interview.

Overall impact

Geminors’ value chain, from product life impacts to waste reuse, can be connected to several of the SDGs, and as Per Mernelius, Country Manager of Geminor Sweden, indicates that they have “clear targets to be even more sustainable.” We chose to specify three SDGs that Geminor, as an international business, contributes to reaching: SDGs 8, 11, and 12.

SDG 8 Decent work and economic growth: Geminor ensures worker satisfaction, safety, and health. They use systems and documentation to ensure that their service providers meet these standards. Moreover, Geminor Group identifies and prevents modern slavery and human trafficking and describes how they do this by producing an annual statement. Their code of conduct emphasizes their stance on decent work, and they count on their customers and supply chain organizations to follow the same standards. All of this contributes to SDG 8.7, Eradicating forced labor and ending modern slavery and human trafficking, and SDG 8.8, Protecting labor rights and promoting safe and secure working environments for all workers.

Further, Geminor takes advantage of its market position by using sustainable solutions for its customers, such as efficient waste recovery and low-emission logistics which can be accomplished through collaboration projects by showing support for innovation and green investments and prioritizing sustainable options, thus contributing to SDG 8.4 Improve global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavor to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. They consider their employees to be their most valuable assets, and their well-being is of utmost importance to the success of their business. “We try to inspire each other; we have a flat organization with few bosses” - Per Mernelius.

Business benefit

Gemisoft, the heart of Geminor's business, benefits the company in diverse ways. First, the database gathers all the information required within only one system. Not only contracts and agreements but also projects and logistic operations are saved in the software.

Documents being controlled are emphasized; the company can ensure everything is going according to plan. In short, the flow of information is remarkably uncluttered.

Not only do customers have access to the system, but also transporters and receivers do. The system connects all parts.

Social and environmental benefit

Thanks to the system, the company can operate efficiently. Geminor takes care of the complete supply chain: logistics, shipping, TFS, and recovery. This way, they provide an efficient and sustainable way to reduce and recycle waste. In 2020, they recycled 1,7 million tons of garbage.

They had over 350 producers and over 180 off-takers. Not only did they operate in their original country, Norway. They worked in 10 European countries.

Their annual statement of 2020 reports the following: “Approximately 9% of the waste handled by Geminor in 2020 was recycled; the rest was sent to energy recovery except for a small share of non-recyclable and hazardous waste that was safely landfilled.”

Moreover, Geminor contributes to the development of the recycling of plastic. They think that in a circular economy, plastic needs to be recycled and properly treated to make sure it does not end up in the environment again. In 2019, Geminor signed an agreement with a technology-based energy company Quantafuel. Quantafuel ensures steady shipments of plastic waste for its chemical recycling plant in Denmark. Only one year later, 500 tons of low-density polyethylene were already ready for delivery. New plastic bags and other plastic goods could be produced with this plastic.

Interview

Per Mernelius, Country Manager SWE