Digital Integrity in the Circular Economy
A landfill in Krok Sombun, east of Bangkok. Credit: Bryan Denton for The New York Times
By James Garfinkel, CEO of Verae
Recently, I read a story about Thai officials intercepting over 200 tons of illegally imported e-waste, disguised as “second-hand electronics.” It’s the kind of headline that might get buried under the noise of bigger news cycles—but to me, it’s one of those quiet signals that something fundamental still isn’t working.
We’ve spent the last decade talking about the circular economy—recycling, reuse, repair—as if the shift is inevitable. However, stories like this reveal that even with the best intentions, the systems designed to maintain ethical and sustainable practices are still too easily manipulated.
That got me thinking: what’s missing isn’t just enforcement or regulation—it’s trustworthy data.
The Circular Economy Is Built on Loops
The whole point of a circular economy is to keep materials and products flowing through reuse loops instead of one-way pipelines to the landfill. It sounds simple in theory. But in practice, it relies on being able to answer questions like:
Where did this come from?
Who handled it last?
Is this safe or legal to use again?
Can we be sure?
And the truth is, those answers often live in emails, PDFs, siloed databases, or—worse—nowhere at all.
I’ve had conversations with people across recycling, IT asset disposition, supply chain logistics—and most agree: we’re still operating with very little visibility. Sometimes deliberately, sometimes just because it’s hard to coordinate across so many moving parts.
It’s Not Just a Tech Problem
I run a tech company, so yes—I believe technology can help. But this isn’t really about tech. It’s about creating a culture of accountability. Do we, as an industry (and as a society), want to build systems where accountability is the default instead of the exception?
Here’s the key point: if we can’t trust the information about what’s flowing through our circular economy, the entire premise of circularity falls apart. It leaves the door open to greenwashing, fraud, and predatory practices that poison entire communities.
So Where Do We Go From Here?
Personally, I think the next chapter of the circular economy needs to focus less on feel-good platitudes and more on accountability and trust. That isn’t glamorous, but it’s essential if we’re going to be successful in effecting meaningful change.. We need better ways to track, verify, and trust what’s happening to the things we make and discard.
Some folks are working on it in logistics. Others in recycling standards. We’re working on a small piece of it at Verae, trying to bring digital integrity to asset chains. But the real progress happens when these pieces come together.
If you’re curious to dive deeper, here are a few resources I’ve found helpful:
What we’re thinking about at Verae — particularly around data traceability and IT asset management
We’ve got a long road ahead, but the conversations are getting smarter. And that’s a good place to start.
