Advanced Sustainable Developments Advanced Sustainable Developments (ASD) is a PET plastic recycler that is focused on recycling material to the highest grade that can be 100% re-used in manufacturing. The company specializes in creating materials that can be used in the food and packaging industry. Its focus is to create repeatably recycled products that enable manufacturers to fully divorce from using fossil fuels. ASD also supports their transition by producing the purest form of recycled polymer that rivals the quality of oil-based virgin polymers. The company has a research and development division that is focusing on out of home recycling and creating a solution that will help consumers recycle whilst on the go. This recycle and reward programme is called ‘Recycle Exchange’.

ASD’s mission is to be the first true circular economy recycler in the world focused on PET plastic. This journey has involved getting a deep dive into understanding of the objectives of each stake holder that forms part of the circular economy journey – understanding their key challenges and motivations. This journey to achieve the circular economy mission has taught ASD that transparency is the backbone of achieving this goal. The company’s mission is also to ensure that every member of the society is able to recycle, regardless of age, social economic status and race. It will implement recycle and reward schemes in locations that make recycling a rewarding process thus promoting long term change in behaviour that launches habitual practices.

An Exceptional Leadership

Ahmed Detta, the Founder and CEO of ASD, has a personal drive to ensure no one is discriminated to recycle. He wants to bring transparency to the industry. His parents have enriched him in philanthropic activities as a child and he has a mindset of giving back.

Ahmed operates on the premise of ‘feeling good about profitability’ which spurred his decision to develop a commercial enterprise in the sustainability arena. He takes a macro outlook and understands those affected on the extremes of each situation and creates micro solutions to bridge the gap to ensure everyone benefits from a single cause.

This ethos led to the circular economy philosophy for recycling with a deep-rooted focus to ensure that every member of this journey benefits.

Delivering Transparent and Quality Services to Benefit Clients

ASD is bringing much needed transparency to the industry which currently does not exist. It is also bringing consistency and quality in products to clients which they can rely on for purchase to successfully meet their own goals.

The clients are benefiting as they can truly vouch to committing to a closed loop recycling process and prove they are contributing to the circular economy. Clients are also benefiting as they are working with an organisation that has sustainability embedded into the DNA of the business focused on long term presence and delivery.

Categorisation of People and Technology Driving Innovation

ASD provides a platform that unites people and their thinking. Without these categories, ideas would not be developed or channelled into actual products and services. Categorisation of big technology allows for innovation to breed and categories to motivate people to think outside the box and challenge the status quo. There is a need to be a starting point, a foundation or a direction to enable innovation to excel. Without this, chaos will evolve, not innovation.

Continuous Breakthroughs Make Business Flourish 

Innovation comes from the mindset of the CEO/management team to do better than what is currently available or on offer. Without a DNA level quest for improvement, innovation will stifle. Moreover, innovation has a domino effect with key partnerships and they will flow in the required direction.

If innovation/growth/improvement is not present in a company that will also reflect in its key partnerships, customers and commercial performance. ASD is building partnerships to form Special Purpose Vehicles to develop, finance, construct and commission for production, high impact PET plastics recycling facilities. The company recognises that it must be instrumental in innovating the recycling industry in order to help change people’s habits and how they view plastics. Its unique qualities undoubtedly make it so useful in everyday lives, but single-use plastics are having an increasingly visible impact on the environment, particularly devastating the oceans.

Challenges Ahead of Sustainable Growth

ASD has faced a number of challenges based on the lack of transparency in the UK waste industry. The main issue caused by the lack of transparency is the motivation of consumers and manufacturers to make a difference and this is driven by the middle man (i.e. waste management firms) who is not showing them what is actually happening to their waste.

ASD has not been perceived as a threat to the waste management industry as they are wanting to work collaboratively to give circular economy stakeholders the solutions they need.

Notable Awards and Recognitions

For its exceptional and distinguished services, ASD has been recognized as:

  • The 10th Most Disruptive company in the UK – Ranked by Disruption Hub
  • The Most Progressive Circular Economy Recycler 2019 – Build Magazine
  • Social Impact Accreditation – Impact Investment Network

The Future of Smart Recycling

Advanced Sustainable Developments (ASD) is providing a benchmark standard for recyclers to follow and a thought leader on circular economy recycling. The industry through pressure will become more transparent resulting in a more cohesive and integrated place to do business and dropping barriers to entry for new-comers who want to make a positive change.