Recycle Coach and Re-Trac will become brands of Kanopy to streamline information and data services. It will launch a new waste information app, Curb Coach. Prairie Robotics will become a strategic partner.
Recycle Coach, a platform providing recycling information for residents and local governments, will now operate under a new parent company called Kanopy Technology. Re-Trac, a software company specializing in collecting and managing recycling data, will also join Kanopy as one of its brands. Additionally, Prairie Robotics, an AI-enabled waste monitoring tech company, is set to become Kanopy’s strategic partner. Kanopy has plans to launch a new tool called Curb Coach, designed to assist residents in finding collection details and updates for garbage, yard waste, and other non-recycling services.
Kanopy Technology was established to address the fragmented nature of recycling services, which are often spread across various entities like cities, haulers, and agencies, lacking a single comprehensive tool. The company aims to consolidate and streamline diverse recycling technologies and capabilities, simplifying the process for its partners to access the appropriate tools. Jessica Fantauzzo, Recycle Coach’s head of marketing, explained that each brand under Kanopy focuses on different aspects of the waste and recycling stream. Recycle Coach facilitates communication with residents before collection, while Prairie Robotics utilizes AI-powered cameras on trucks to monitor materials and prevent contamination at the point of collection. Re-Trac, on the other hand, is responsible for collecting and managing data about the waste stream. Jeff Galad, formerly president and CEO of Recycle Coach, will now serve as CEO of Kanopy Technology, emphasizing the company's goal to integrate these services and continuously develop solutions for municipalities, haulers, and other stakeholders in the waste management sector. Recycle Coach, a Toronto-based company with 25 years of experience, has offered its app for a decade to provide local disposal and curbside rules, partnering with municipalities across North America. While Recycle Coach's app services will remain unchanged under Kanopy, Fantauzzo indicated plans to enhance connectivity with municipalities and partners to mitigate contamination issues and provide easily accessible recycling information. The forthcoming Curb Coach app will extend these services, offering clear answers on general waste-related services for municipalities that, due to extended producer responsibility laws, may no longer directly oversee curbside recycling but remain responsible for other waste services. Kanopy's new parent structure is intended to prevent resident confusion by serving municipalities properly. Re-Trac, led by its current CEO Josh Reid, will also be integrated into Kanopy. Re-Trac’s data collection, reporting, and compliance services are crucial for the new company, particularly as state and local agencies face increasing demands to track and provide granular recycling data in response to new EPR and recycled content laws. Kanopy’s strategic partnership with Prairie Robotics, known for its AI-powered truck-mounted cameras that identify contamination in recycling carts and facilitate resident outreach, will further integrate their technologies. This integration already allows for push notifications to residents regarding contamination, with the formalized partnership aiming to expand the capabilities and impact of these integrated solutions within communities.