In the transition from fragmented data to circular clarity, the perspectives of Dr. Michael Groves and Casilda Malagon at the Exeter Circular Economy Masterclass highlight the strategic value of digital intelligence in waste and by-product management. Their insights reveal how data can be turned into actionable intelligence, supporting operational efficiency, compliance, and sustainable leadership.
The Exeter Circular Economy Masterclass is a renowned six-week programme for those in industry and government looking to extend their knowledge and expertise in this area. Hosted by the Exeter University Business School Centre for Circular Economy, the programme is designed to empower individuals to embed circularity into organisations, services and products, bridging the gap between ambition and implementation.
On 6th November 2025, the Masterclass session, ‘Digitally enabling the circular economy’, was led by Dr Michael Groves, founder of Resordinate, and Casilda Malagon, a strategic advisor to Resordinate and founder of Cambianz Sustainable Solutions.
Making Sense of Messy Data
When it comes to waste materials, Michael said his team accepts the reality that “we live in a world of messy data.” Information about waste and resource streams may come from everywhere: sensors, spreadsheets, logistics databases and other sources. The challenge, he said, lies in creating a standardised, trusted, and auditable view of these fragmented datasets.
“Material is always being generated, collected, and moved,” he explained. “The key is to recognise the variability of that data while still building a coherent system view.”
In Michael’s world, waste is not a linear endpoint but a dynamic network—multiple materials, processes, and actors interacting across geographies. Digitalisation, he argued, offers the tools to make that complexity visible and, in turn, manageable. But technology alone won’t close the loop. True progress requires alignment between data systems, policy frameworks, and collaborative supply chains that share responsibility for circular outcomes.
Casilda touched on her extensive experience across corporate sustainability and circularity. Noting that data provides an “entryway for change” 12 by identifying business opportunities, for example, in analysing waste and materials flows. The collection and analysis of trusted data can help overcome the issue of disjointed budgets, where procurement and environmental functions operate in silos and never talk to each other.
The Business Model Challenge
Michael and Casilda agreed that while digital tools can illuminate new pathways for materials, the real transformation happens when business models evolve. Both acknowledged that the current geopolitical environment and fragmented infrastructure make scaling such models difficult. “If the data tells you there’s a valuable material stream but no infrastructure to handle it, that’s not just a challenge,” Casilda observed. “It’s a business opportunity.”
Michael linked this to the emergence of product passports and tracking systems. “You can’t manage what you can’t see,” he said. “Tracking materials across their life cycle creates accountability—and opportunity—for recovery and reuse.”
From Compliance to Value Creation
The conversation also turned to the regulatory landscape, for example, the rapidly evolving ESG reporting landscape. Michael argued that “We need to move from reporting for regulation to reporting for insight. If companies treat data collection as a strategic exercise, they’ll uncover efficiencies and innovation opportunities—not just tick boxes.”
Casilda highlighted the benefits for companies of conducting materiality assessments even when not legally required. “They’re doing it because it strengthens their business strategy,” she said. “That’s when sustainability leaders start thinking like operational leaders—how can my function drive performance, not just compliance?”
Confidence and Communication
Data’s value, both noted, is enhanced through effective communication and visualisation. “There can be a gap between sustainability ambitions and execution,” Casilda observed. “That’s why sustainability, marketing and communications teams need to work hand-in-hand. Data can be the foundation of a powerful story.”
Michael added that transparency itself can shift behaviour. “Through my work on sustainable forestry many years back I noted that a corporate commitment to using only certified timber, embedded a sustainable choice by default. That’s how we can achieve systemic change.”
The Digital Future of Circularity
Both see AI and digital twins as transformative forces for greater circularity. AI can process complex resources data, predict maintenance needs, and optimise recovery systems in real time. But, as Michael noted, “data and digital won’t solve our problems alone.”
Casilda noted that life-cycle assessments that once took months of work by specialist teams can now be completed in minutes using AI. “Access to this kind of knowledge will be revolutionary,” she said. “It means sustainability intelligence becomes embedded in everyday business decisions.”
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Casilda and Michael collaborate with organisations worldwide to help them harness the business value of sustainability. If you are interested in exploring how their expertise could support your organisation’s waste, resources and circular economy ambitions, please get in touch.