Logistics problems worth solving

Goods still move through systems designed before any of this volatility.

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Framed 21 Sep Ed. 1

LogisticsProblem 0014

Recycling a device profitably depends on knowing what it contains before you open it, and that information was never attached to it. So the pile is handled as undifferentiated waste: shredded for the few metals that survive the process, or stored, or exported. The materials the world is anxious about securing are sitting in it, and a large part of the reason they are not recovered is identification rather than chemistry.

Who lives with itRecyclers and refurbishers · manufacturers facing take-back obligations · anyone sourcing critical minerals

Why nowThe ITU and UNITAR Global E-waste Monitor 2024 recorded 62 million tonnes generated in 2022 with 22.3% formally collected and recycled, around $62 billion of recoverable materials embedded in it, and a projection to 82 million tonnes by 2030 as recycling falls further behind.

Why it mattersA known, growing, geographically concentrated pile of valuable material where the binding constraint is knowing what is in each unit. That is a data and vision problem attached to an existing physical industry, a good place for a small team to start.

Inspired by reporting from ITU & UNITAR

A hackathon to make a dent in High (Ainna's editorial grade)

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Framed 21 Sep Ed. 1

LogisticsProblem 0024

A small importer commits to an order months before it lands and discovers the real cost on arrival: duties applied differently than expected, a classification disputed, fees that were never quoted. Large firms keep trade teams and brokers for exactly this. A five-person business has a spreadsheet and a guess, and prices a whole catalogue on that guess.

Who lives with itSmall e-commerce brands and independent retailers · the freight forwarders serving them · their customers, eventually

Why nowTariff regimes have become materially more changeable, and the tooling that absorbs that volatility is still mostly built and priced for larger firms.

Why it mattersVolatility is now the normal condition rather than the exception, and the answer is still priced for companies that do not need it most. A landed-cost figure a small owner can actually trust is a product, not a feature.

Framed by Ainna editorial

A funded startup to make a dent in High (Ainna's editorial grade)

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Logistics problems worth solving

Unidentified e-waste: Recyclers can't tell what's inside before they shred it

Unpredictable landed cost: Small importers can't predict what a shipment will cost