Waste is a global problem and it is for this reason that Rubicon’s mission to end waste, in all of its forms is not only a global challenge, but a global opportunity.

We recently announced our partnership with Odakyu Group, out of Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1948, Odakyu is committed to working collaboratively with local Japanese haulers and industry leaders to help identify and solve the local and global challenges of waste today.

Doing business in Japan can be challenging for foreign companies that are not acquainted with local customs and traditions. Working with Monitor Deloitte Japan, Odakyu invited me and Rubicon’s Vice President of Sustainability, David Rachelson, to their headquarters in Shinjuku, Tokyo with the view of forming a potential partnership—stating that they view Rubicon as a global leader in the waste and recycling space committed to delivering a Circular Economy.

Rubicon and Odakyu

By partnering with Rubicon, Odakyu will utilize Rubicon’s technology to help develop a sustainable ecosystem for all of its operating businesses. Of course, Japan has long been known for taking innovative approaches to sustainability. In 2018, The Japan Times reported that the country was eyeing the potential of reducing its plastic waste by as much as 25 percent by 2030, while just last month it was reported that the Japanese village of Kamikatsu had reached an 81 percent recycling rate—and it aims to be the first zero-waste municipality in the world by 2020. It was also recently announced that Japan will achieve its goal of making the 2020 Summer Olympic medals, of which Tokyo is the host, entirely from e-waste.

At the World Circular Economy Forum in Yokohama, Japan last year, Japan’s State Minister of the Environment, Tsukasa Akimoto, pledged that Japan will advance the circular economy when they take up the presidency of the G20 (Group of Twenty) this year. In a video address to attendees at the forum, the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, noted that his country wished to “share its experience of natural resource conservation and take the lead on [the] circular economy within the international community.”

Rubicon is a software company that follows a strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. It was clear that this was top of mind for my counterparts at Odakyu Group while we were working to make this partnership happen. Operationally, Odakyu will be using our technology to help the hauling community in Japan improve operational efficiency and identify new business opportunities, while at the same time doing their part toward advancing the global circular economy and creating shared value for all involved.

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