Press releases detailing internal company news can often be drier than unbuttered toast. Yet this rebrand is interesting for those who operate in the spaces between sustainability and business.
A press release hit journalists’ inboxes early on the morning of January 24. “A new era starts today,” it trumpeted. “Covanta Europe becomes Encyclis and sets out its commitment to advancing energy-from-waste as an effective solution on the journey to net zero.”
This may have been enough for a stay of execution from the delete button. Internal company news is integral to the industry press, but often ignorable to just about everybody else. Yet underneath this particular rebrand is an interesting story – and an important one for those looking to marry the worlds of B2B and sustainability.
The background
When it comes to forging this frequently uneasy union, experts offer a lot of similar advice. “Focus on progress, not perfection,”, says Meredith Sumpter, CEO of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism. “Business leaders can sometimes get overwhelmed and think they need to figure it all out at once.” “This is not about perfection, it’s about progression,” says Tracey Groves, ESG UK practice leader at StoneTurn. “I don’t expect an organisation to be perfect when it comes to ESG, because it’s actually very, very challenging.”
“Research focuses on perfect circularity”, the paper notes. “Most resource use is imperfectly circular.”
To sum up, perfect is often the enemy of good right now – and this is where the concept of ‘imperfect circularity’ comes in. The term first came to recognition through the work of Frank Figge, Andrea Stevenson Thorpe and Siarhei Manzhynski in a 2021 paper, who note they are ‘passionate’ but ‘realistic’ about the circular economy. “Research focuses on perfect circularity”, the paper notes. “Most resource use is imperfectly circular.”
Energy-from-waste (EfW), also known as waste-to-energy (WtE), is one such example. It involves making electricity, heat, and transport fuels such as diesel from waste through various methods, most notably incineration. A Defra paper from 2014 conceded that EfW has had ‘a poor historical image in the UK… dependent on landfill’, but added that this was ‘persistent but outdated.’
Encyclis brings things more up to date, with a company tagline of ‘more than energy from waste.’ Aside from the tight regulation of any energy recovery facility (ERF), the company cites Defra’s assertion that EfW plants ‘contribute only a small fraction of both local and national total emissions of particles’, favourably compared with wood burning, car exhausts, and construction work.
The goal for Encyclis is fully sustainable operations by 2030, and supporting the EfW industry’s target of reaching net zero by 2040. “Integral to this mission will be a drive to continue to reduce emissions, develop district heating networks, recycle ash and residues into new aggregate material for the construction industry, and proactively work with partners and government towards the deployment of carbon capture technology,” the company noted in a statement.
The rebrand
So how did Encyclis come into being? The name came first, being a compound of ‘energy’ and ‘recycling’. The tag line was a different matter. “We knew that recovering energy from waste that would otherwise end up in a polluting landfill was a positive, but we hadn’t appreciated the other valuable by-products that were also recovered, including metals for recycling and ash for construction materials,” Peter Matthews, director at agency Nucleus, tells Sustainable Future News. “That led us to the ‘More than energy from waste’ brand promise.”
Nucleus was responsible for the brand strategy, naming, design, and website in the project. A chunk of the work involved identifying brand values through workshops with staff, as well as involving senior management and cross-sections of teams from head office and facilities. The values identified were: ‘safety first’, ‘focused on circularity’, ‘responsible partners and good citizens’, ‘100% and beyond’, and ‘succeeding together.’ “The new name and identity have created a new sense of identity and belonging as an independent company, no longer a European subsidiary of a US corporation,” explains Matthews.
“A step-by-step transition may not be enough and let’s be clear, they are probably right. But gaining momentum is vital, as Newtonian mechanics proves that velocity gained for a growing mass becomes increasingly hard to stop.”
Matthews had previously blogged about imperfect circularity, noting in November that the world ‘needs the private sector to do what it does best – create profitable new businesses, but ones that are more and more circular and sustainable.’ He did add a caveat: “For climate activists, a step-by-step transition may not be enough and let’s be clear, they are probably right. But gaining momentum is vital, as Newtonian mechanics proves that velocity gained for a growing mass becomes increasingly hard to stop.”
It is a balancing act, and Matthews noted that stakeholders at Encyclis believed imperfect circularity was a ‘good metaphor’ for the ERF process. Should such a rebrand be considered greenwashing? “The company name had to change, but Encyclis is transparent and accountable for the imperfect ERF process,” says Matthews. “In an ideal world, there would be no landfill waste and all plastic could be recycled, but that’s not the world we live in today, so there’s a place for recovering energy, metals, and ash from unrecyclable waste.”
Your brand is your business, and your business is your brand; so think carefully about how you position and communicate your brand proposition.
Imperfect circularity can be seen in different forms, with some more prominent than others. Carbon capture, where carbon dioxide emissions are taken from industrial activity, transported, and then locked into storage sites underground, is one such example. Earlier this week, UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced in the latest budget a pledge of £20 billion spread over two decades into such projects. Matthews noted in his blog that carbon capture was a ‘good example of where governments should lead.’
So what does the branding expert advise for those looking at their style play books, whether it’s refreshing it or ripping it up? “Your brand is your business, and your business is your brand; so think carefully about how you position and communicate your brand proposition,” says Matthews. “Use an agency with a rigorous process – and never overclaim.”
