In August 2023, we welcomed Leander to DePoly in Sion, Switzerland, for a 6-month internship.
“As many of us know, plastic is an enormous problem in today’s world. Plastic is pretty much in everything we interact with daily. Reflecting on that, I wanted to take action and try to help solve this problem. In the context of my master’s degree, I was looking for an internship, specifically in a start-up environment rather than a big company. I heard about DePoly and the team at Forum EPFL. After doing some research on them, I decided to apply via the company website for my internship in the Research and Development department.”
“Once I started with DePoly, I was directly assigned some projects to work on, to my great pleasure as this was what I was expecting and looking for during my internship. One of the benefits of working in a start-up environment is that I could work on projects and complete tasks that would have most likely been out of reach in a larger company. I was able to interact with many stakeholders on a very horizontal level, and that was a very valuable experience. Discussing projects and taking part in company meetings as well as interact with our pilot plant team made my internship feel very complete.”
“Working in a start-up environment also means that you have a lot of autonomy, and that you need to bring a “do it yourself” approach as well as a solving problems mindset. Of course, you will always have team members available if you have a question or need clarification but being able to be my own “project manager” felt very empowering, associated with a level of trust from my managers and team.
In fact, some of the work I delivered was implemented to our pilot plant, and I felt very proud to have been able to contribute to this becoming a reality. There is a special feeling when you scale an idea/project from paper to reality and see it work with positive feedback.”
“Overall, it was a very positive experience, and my 6-month internship flew by. I am grateful for the level of trust and responsibilities that were put in me. It was a two-way street, I was able to show that I could handle the projects and tasks that were assigned to me, and in return I was able to work on projects at scales that would have not been possible in large companies. Meetings were bi-directional, I could discuss, listen and I felt that my opinion was taken into account. Something I noticed here is that you are valued as a human being. Sometimes, as we were on the train back to Lausanne, we would spontaneously decide to go rock climbing with a few other team members or go for an after-work drink. I am super curious to see how DePoly will evolve in the future and will definitely stay in touch, who knows, I might be back in a few years.”
DePoly’s technology recycles unsorted, dirty PET waste into virgin-grade raw materials. Those PET precursors, PTA and MEG, are used by the industry to produce new plastics without the need for fossil fuels, while diverting valuable materials from landfills and incineration.
DePoly SA –
HQ
Rue de l'Industrie 23, 1950 Sion, Valais, Switzerland
DePoly SA –
Showcase Plant
Route de l'Ile au Bois, 1870 Monthey, Valais, Switzerland
La technologie de DePoly recycle les déchets PET sales et non triés en matières premières de qualité vierge.
Ces précurseurs du PET, le PTA et le MEG, sont utilisés par l'industrie pour produire de nouveaux plastiques sans avoir recours aux combustibles fossiles, tout en détournant des matériaux précieux des décharges et de l'incinération.
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