We have come a long way since our company’s founding over ten years ago. In celebrating our ten-year anniversary last year, we looked at the three core pillars—the foundational elements—of our continued success, namely our mission, our customers, and our employees.
Rubicon’s mission is to end waste, in all of its forms, by helping our partners find economic value in their waste streams and confidently execute on their sustainability goals. We partner with customers from Main Street America, to some of the most recognizable global brands, to many of the most innovative cities in the world, working to help them do right by their waste. Together, we drive environmental innovation that reduces costs, improves efficiency, and creates a better quality of life.
A Certified B Corporation since 2012, Rubicon® was recently named a Great Place to Work® for a third-consecutive year; a designation that is awarded to us by our employees. Internally, we have always referred to ourselves as “Rubicon,” and as of today, April 6, 2020, we are making this change official.
I recently sat down with Rubicon’s Founder, Chairman, and CEO Nate Morris to discuss, among other things, how Rubicon is pushing the industry forward, why we have the best customers in the business, and why despite the fact that we have removed the “Global” from our name, Rubicon’s mission is as far-reaching and international as ever.
What does the shortening of our company name mean to you?
Over the last ten years we have been building scale, we have been building our platform, and we have been attracting the best customers and employees in the business. This is a definitive milestone in Rubicon’s history; our vision coming into full view.
Rubicon has always offered our customers a transformational service experience. From the small business owners of Main Street America, to large household names that are recognized around the globe, to cities around the world. Rubicon’s mission is to end waste, in all of its forms. I believe that we are just getting started.
How has Rubicon pushed the waste and recycling industry into the future over the past ten years?
Rubicon has changed the narrative about the waste, recycling, and smart city technology industries. We are a software company born in the waste and recycling industry—this distinction means that we approach the problems associated with recycling, sustainability, and the circular economy differently from the incumbent industry players.
Rubicon is bringing fresh ideas to an otherwise outdated industry.
Rubicon is currently operating in all 50 U.S. states and over 20 countries around the world. Why is it important that the company takes a global approach to its operations?
Rubicon’s mission is to end waste, in all its forms. This mission doesn’t stop at the waste in our backyard—it extends around the world. While we may have removed the “Global” from our name, Rubicon’s mission is as far-reaching as ever. With recently announced deals in Japan, Switzerland, and beyond, and with the creation last year of a new role at Rubicon focused exclusively on global expansion, we are working with some of the largest and best-positioned companies around the world to help make our mission to end waste a global reality.
How does Rubicon drive environmental innovation through its suite of technology products?
Environmental innovation is all about allowing the market to help drive better solutions and ensuring that sustainability efforts are focused on preserving the environment for future generations, while making economic sense.
Rubicon’s suite of technology products—from our online consumer portal to our next-generation AI-powered photo recognition technology—were created because that’s what the market was telling us it demanded. At Rubicon, we push environmental innovation in collaboration with our partners; whether with the close to 7,000 haulers in our network, or alongside great city-partners such as the cities of Montgomery, Alabama; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Fort Collins, Colorado. Rather than picking winners, Rubicon is at the forefront of a generational shift in which value is being placed on companies that are driving environmental innovation in all that they do.
Rubicon is a Certified B Corporation, and has been for over eight years. Why is this certification important to you and to the company’s mission and work?
Being a Certified B Corporation is fundamental to our business. When I started Rubicon with Marc Spiegel over ten years ago, we were insistent on becoming a B Corp as early as possible. We wanted to build the right kind of company with the right values from the very beginning. We wanted to create an organization that could scale beyond our wildest dreams with a culture dedicated to delivering positive impact that is embedded in the very DNA of our business.
Where do you see Rubicon in the next five years?
In the next five years, Rubicon will become the definitive waste and recycling solution in the United States and abroad, and it will power the change and innovation that will define the waste and recycling industry over the next 50 years. Together, we will end waste.
Michael Allegretti is Chief Strategy Officer at Rubicon. To stay ahead of Rubicon’s announcements of new partnerships and collaborations around the world, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, or contact us today.
