‘Waste Ninja’: A Case Study on a Waste Company in the Circular Economy

If you asked me prior to 2020 whether I had done consulting work for a waste company the answer would have been no, but since the turn of the decade I can now say yes!

The better consultants (and investors) are not just spreadsheet warriors, they immerse themselves in their client’s business — for me this meant waking up at 3 am in order to have my safety and instruction briefing before experiencing a typical truck run day, starting at 4.15 am and finishing at midday. I wasn’t allowed to drive the truck, you need a special licence for that, but I was able to operate the lifter!

Getting my hands dirty: Decked in my weekend uniform (active wear), a high-vis vest (yellow is my colour!) and steel cap boots (courtesy of my engineering sister, Kalai Valliappan)

Darryn Pinto, ex-Finance Ninja in the energy and airlines industries founded ‘Waste Ninja’ three years ago. Utilising his experience in supply chain, logistics and risk management Darryn and the team have a fast growing operation in Sydney and Melbourne. They’re looking at further expansion in 2020! Which is why he called me in early January, to have a look at the operations and of course the metrics (love the numbers!) as the team embarks on the next stage of growth.

When I was conducting research prior to working with the ‘Waste Ninja’ team I couldn’t find too many case studies on waste companies, and hardly any when looking at the intersection of those operating within the circular economy. I…