Saltrex Waste saves goods from incineration

Every year more than 771 million tonnes of goods are labelled as waste in the EU, over 40% of which are incinerated or end up as landfill – often undeservedly so, according to the international auction platform Saltrex. To resolve this, Saltrex has developed a new online platform that provides a systematic overview of the most optimal and circular processing options.

Saltrex was founded in 2017 as an independent online platform for the sale of damaged yet still usable leftover goods. According to CEO Michael Hajdasinski, however, users of the platform are increasingly looking for a solution for goods that are no longer fit for sale and need to be certifiably destroyed. For example, if branded shirts suffer water damage they are normally incinerated. Hajdasinski believes that’s a shame – and he claims that the suppliers concerned agree with him, but they have no other options at the moment.

The Saltrex Waste concept was launched in order to offer an alternative. Hajdasinski claims it is the first online platform which systematically identifies the most optimal and circular processing options, and offers the certainty – via global certification – that the processing actually takes place. This means that water-damaged branded shirts could now be turned into new towels, without the risk of them ending up for sale on the black market instead. This enables new raw materials to be reclaimed from old ones, plus it helps to boost profits too. It is what Saltrex calls ‘workable circularity’.

Crowdfunding campaign

Hence, the Saltrex Waste platform not only responds to a market need, but also meets an urgent moral need, according to the company. “The customer demand for sustainability and circularity is greater than ever. We have the experience, knowledge and technical solutions to realize this platform for the optimal recovery of raw materials,” states Saltrex. In order to further develop and grow both platforms, the company has launched a crowdfunding campaign via Oneplanetcrowd aimed at raising at least €750,000. The new platform is scheduled to go live at the beginning of 2020.