GoodMine (project lead) is an early stage growth tech company that specialises in collating data and insights relating to the circular supply chain(consumer goods). Mer-IT (collaboration partner) is a social enterprise which collects donations of unwanted devices(e.g. laptops,phones), repairs them and distributes them to the local community. MT has a skills-transfer model through vocational and community repair courses which enables a large volume of repairs. MT has extensive knowledge of the costs, labour and skills required to construct a working device using parts. MT wants this knowledge to be scaled. As part of their behavioural change strategy, MT provides free repairs for the community. Together the GoodMine and Mer-IT propose to explore ways to create a structured, searchable database to collate information about parts for repairs(e.g. compatibility, complexity/time/cost to harvest parts from discarded devices).

GoodMine is an early stage growth business that has developed a waste prevention platform that collates open source data and creates networks to connect the dots between consumers and the circular ecosystem. The platform includes a data analytics dashboard for councils to observe local waste prevention activities and behaviours as they work towards net zero goals. This project partners with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and Sustainable Ventures Designs to apply design thinking methods to the user experience to improve flows and features to accelerate adoption by better aligning our product offer with user needs.

GoodMine is an early stage growth business that has developed a waste prevention platform that collates open source data and creates networks to connect the dots between consumers and the circular ecosystem. The platform includes a data analytics dashboard for local authorities to observe local waste prevention activities and behaviours as they work towards net zero goals. This project relates to a demonstrator trial of GoodMine's technology within the London Borough of Islington in collaboration with Islington Council.

Of the total UK waste from households, 6.3% is comprised of products thrown away before the end of their useful lives (Statista,2022). Whilst 70% of UK consumers express interest in product-life extension, 54% believe that it should be the responsibility of the retailer to facilitate accessible, circular solutions (Capgemini,2021). An existing retailer-led solution is take-back schemes (TBS), which allow consumers to return used products, sometimes in exchange for an incentive. However, existing TBS are inconsistent and opaque in their sustainability objectives, some centred on charitable partnerships, others on limited second-hand resale initiatives and recycling - all of which fail to provide a truly sustainable solution that addresses waste prevention and reuse. Our vision for this project is to completely rethink the existing solutions and infrastructures around retailer-led TBS. Using human-centred design, we aim to determine optimal approaches to TBS, enabling products to be reused, remanufactured and resold - rather than going to landfill. The project may produce new approaches to closing the loop between production and waste, or entirely new ecosystems that will harness the power of external platforms and infrastructures that enable products to reach their intended lifespan.

Of the total UK waste from households, 6.3% is comprised of products thrown away before the end of their useful lives (Statista,2022). Whilst 70% of UK consumers express interest in product-life extension, 54% believe that it should be the responsibility of the retailer to facilitate accessible, circular solutions (Capgemini,2021). An existing retailer-led solution is take-back schemes (TBS), which allow consumers to return used products, sometimes in exchange for an incentive. However, existing TBS are inconsistent and opaque in their sustainability objectives, some centred on charitable partnerships, others on limited second-hand resale initiatives and recycling - all of which fail to provide a truly sustainable solution that addresses waste prevention and reuse. Our vision for this project is to completely rethink the existing solutions and infrastructures around retailer-led TBS. Using human-centred design, we aim to determine optimal approaches to TBS, enabling products to be reused, remanufactured and resold - rather than going to landfill. The project may produce new approaches to closing the loop between production and waste, or entirely new ecosystems that will harness the power of external platforms and infrastructures that enable products to reach their intended lifespan.

GoodMine is a clean-tech start-up working towards a world where manufactured household goods stay in use for as long as possible, thereby reducing waste going to landfill. We are building intuitive technology that makes passing on used goods easy for everyone. We are creating a free app for consumers - the first search engine dedicated to used household goods that compares "circular pathways" (such as online marketplaces, local auction houses, charity shops, community groups, company take-back schemes or recycling options) all in one place based on item, location and user preference. Our aim is to help consumers adopt circular behaviours by making the responsible disposal of unwanted household goods as convenient and transparent as returning an online purchase. With the proposed Circular Pathways Expansion and Assessment (CPEA) project, we are seeking to demonstrate that machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to both simplify the collection and processing of data to enhance our search engine and to prepare a B2B offer.