In the latest edition of our meet the founder’s series, we introduce the latest solution in digital waste tracking – WasteSync. WasteSync is an offline-first RegTech for heavy industry logistics and waste management. In this blog, co-founders Alastair Mackie and Iain Baxter explain how their solution is gearing for new regulatory changes in the sector.

Tell us about your start-up – what problem are you solving and why does it matter? 

Waste crime and fly-tipping cost the UK economy upwards of £1 billion every year. To combat this, regulatory bodies like SEPA and DEFRA are mandating a massive shift from outdated paper transfer notes to real-time digital waste tracking. For waste management operators, this compliance shift represents a major operational headache.

At WasteSync, we have built an API-first middleware solution that seamlessly manages this transition. Sitting directly between on-site weighbridge hardware (the weight indicator) and back-office accounts software, WasteSync automatically captures what is on the vehicle and its certified weight the moment it rolls onto the bridge. That data is transmitted directly to regulatory bodies via API, ensuring instant, foolproof compliance with zero double-entry.

While we are starting by solving compliance at the weighbridge for waste receivers, our broader vision is much bigger. By expanding upstream to waste producers, WasteSync is positioning itself to become the end-to-end digital passport for bulk materials across the UK, bringing true transparency, circularity, and traceability to the supply chain.

Tell us more about the team at WasteSync and your background? 

WasteSync was co-founded by Alastair Mackie and Iain Baxter, bringing together deep commercial acumen, legal knowledge, and enterprise-grade tech delivery:

Alastair Mackie is co-founder and Commercial Lead. He holds a Law degree from the University of Edinburgh and an MBA from Strathclyde. Prior to launching WasteSync, Alastair spent over 11 years at Lloyds Banking Group across specialist lending and corporate advisory roles, alongside an earlier background in sales, advertising, and hospitality. Exiting banking to focus full-time on emerging technology, he leads business strategy, commercial execution, and product architecture.

Iain Baxter is co-founder and delivery lead. He is an agile delivery and IT transformation specialist who has led complex programmes for global institutions including IBM, EY, and the London Stock Exchange. Iain leads technical execution, delivery frameworks, and software engineering.

We are supported by a strong extended team, including Niloy and Pius, MBA project interns, who have contributed to our summer development sprints and dedicated CRM and go-to-market support from Authentic OS, led by our consultant Vicky.

What inspired you to start this company?

The inspiration came from spotting a critical industry heading straight into a regulatory challenge. Looking closely at environmental compliance, it was clear that waste management was grappling with safety risks, manual inefficiencies, and impending digital mandates, yet lacked the modern, agile tools required to adapt.

Recognising the gap, Alastair began leveraging agentic workflows and modern software tooling in December 2025 to rapidly prototype a solution. Backed by support from Strathclyde Inspire, the concept quickly gained traction, culminating in a win at the Strathclyde Inspire 100 pitch competition. Critical commercial validation followed shortly after through engagement with Dundee City Council, who confirmed the urgency of the problem and committed to a live operational pilot.

Realising the scale of what lay ahead, Alastair brought Iain on board to turn the prototype into an enterprise-grade platform. As the industry saying goes once you get involved in waste, you never look back. It pulls you in because the problem space is so tangible, the environmental impact is huge, and the opportunity to modernise an essential sector is genuinely exciting!

What are your goals during the accelerator programme? 

The kick-off session using the Innovation Readiness Framework set the exact benchmark we needed, shining a light across every dimension of our business, not just the code.

Over the course of the programme, our goals are tightly focused on disciplined execution. We want to work on maturing the technology, working alongside our launch partner, Dundee City Council, to advance WasteSync from TRL 5 to 8 or 9 in live conditions. We also want to elevate the overall readiness levels of the venture, moving each pillar forward by multiple notches so operations, governance, and commercial strategy match our technical maturity.

Another key goal for us is to embed Ordnance Survey geospatial mapping into our data architecture pioneer smarter location intelligence, haulage verification and material movement tracking. Using Geovation Scotland’s network, mentorship and the peer learning from our cohort, we want to transition from an early-stage startup into a bootstrapped, sustainable RegTech business primed for rapid UK-wide scaling.

What has been your proudest moment so far as founders? 

Passing 14 out of 14 DEFRA Production Approval Tests (PAT) and securing our place as an officially verified compatible software provider on GOV.UK is right at the top.  

While many established players have only partially passed or are still navigating test scenarios, WasteSync achieved a 100% clean sweep across every single requirement. For an early-stage start-up, outperforming incumbent software on technical compliance and appearing on the official government registry was huge validation of the architecture we have built. 

Alongside that milestone, several others stand out: 

• Winning the Strathclyde Inspire 100 pitch competition after a rigorous review of our plan by venture capitalists and Scottish Enterprise leaders. 
• Finalising our agreement with Dundee City Council to run a live operational pilot in real-world waste conditions. 
• Bringing Iain on board as co-founder, welcoming our MBA interns Niloy and Pius, and partnering with Vicky and Lee at Authentic OS. 
• Getting selected for the Geovation Scotland Accelerator Programme alongside a great cohort of likeminded founders. 

How can people support you? 

We believe that WasteSync will always be greater than the sum of its parts, and that relies on strong partnerships, expert perspectives, and community support.  

We’re looking for warm introductions to waste receivers, skip operators, waste management firms, and local authorities. Beyond traditional waste, we are keen to connect with leaders in adjacent bulk logistics sectors where circularity and material traceability are critical; such as construction aggregates and Scottish whisky distilling. 

We’re also navigating local council frameworks and enterprise-scale procurement journeys. Any advice, guidance, or mentorship on fine-tuning our tendering and public procurement strategy is invaluable. Having built a robust platform that has passed all 14 out of 14 DEFRA Production Approval Tests (PAT), we are also eager to work with experts in geospatial analysis and advanced mapping data to expand our platform’s capabilities. 

We are also actively seeking sounding boards, strategic partners, and mentors who think differently from us to challenge our assumptions as we scale from a high-performing prototype into an industry-standard enterprise. 

Website: www.wastesync.co.uk 

Alastair LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alastairnmackie 

Iain LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/iainsbaxter 

Company LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/wastesync