This article is a summary of episode 8 of the podcast The Builders. Exchange between Richard Mitha and Nicolas Cruaud - Co-founder and president of Neolith. In the Les Bâtisseurs podcast, Richard Mitha, serial-entrepreneur, CEO of Synaxe, interviews industry visionaries to inspire in your own environmental, digital, and managerial transformation.
Fossilization: an innovative alternative
In this episode of The Builders, we invite Nicolas Cruaud, president of Neolith. He highlights his company, which offers an alternative to the burial and incineration of non-recyclable waste thanks to the fossilization. Nicolas explains that the fossilization process turns waste into stones, which significantly reduces emissions of CO2. The company offers an economic model for providing services to treat waste with its fossilizer at a rate of payment per ton. The target market is that of recycled aggregates, which can be used in concrete without affecting its strength.
Nicolas compiled all the data on waste produced in France and calculated the carbon footprint of the waste management industry. Their process starts by crushing the waste into flour, which is then mixed with mineral binders to create mineral paste. This paste is then pressed by extrusion to form small blocks of mineral aggregates. The start-up raised 20 million euros in 2021 to develop their industrial process and is starting to deliver their first commercial machines.
An innovative economic model
The start-up adopted an economic service delivery model to offer a profitable alternative to landfilling waste. Nicolas also deals with the resale of aggregates that are produced during the treatment of waste. It seeks to develop rapidly and to convince sorting centers of the effectiveness of its service. It highlights the importance of finding impact funds that are aligned with their environmental mission and maintaining control over corporate governance and decision-making processes.
The president of Neolithe explains how his company managed to differentiate itself by offering unique services and developing a strong corporate culture. It highlights the importance of working with reliable partners and maintaining a collaborative culture within the company. Nicolas believes that the EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) can help improve the quality of waste sorting and facilitate the production of high-quality aggregates. It also highlights the importance of innovation in the waste management industry and the need to seek funding to rapidly deploy innovative tools.
The future of recycling and energy recovery
He ends up telling us about his desire to believe that recycling will play a crucial role in reducing waste and carbon emissions. It also highlights the potential for innovation in waste-to-energy technologies, such as the use of waste as a fuel source for transport. Nicolas is aware of the challenges and opportunities associated with starting a business and believes that innovation and creativity are essential to remain competitive in the market. He believes that his business is structured for rapid growth and that he has built a business to take on this hypergrowth.
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