Sustainability is about caring for our resources, future generations, and an industry that will remain strong and competitive. During his presentation at our “ Plantvision ” Technology Insight 2026 event, Niklas Jerne from Rocco Oil demonstrated how smarter resource use and circular practices can boost profitability and reduce vulnerability. This article summarizes his experiences from Swedish industry and his reasoning as to why clear benefits do not always lead to change.
Why Do We Do Things Differently at Work?
The lecture began with a personal story about a grandfather who taught his grandchild to make the most of what was available. Leftover paint was saved for the next time the house was to be painted. That experience later came into conflict with an industry where resources were purchased, used, and discarded as a natural part of the process. Niklas described himself as a cultural worker within the industry. Working with oils is also about how people view finite resources and which routines they are willing to question. His experience working with environmental education at Volvo was that change occurs when people understand why it is needed. A graph or a presentation alone is not enough.
Waste sorting at home served as an example of how differently we can act in different contexts. Many people spend time sorting waste at home, but at work they encounter procedures where used oils are collected in the same tank to be picked up and processed further. At the same time, there are reasons for caution in the industry: the processes are costly, and changes can entail risks. The lecture therefore focused on how established procedures are tested and what is required for an alternative to gain “ Location.”
When a Laundry Process Marked the Beginning of Reuse
A customer case study demonstrated how that issue could be addressed in practice. At the time, Niklas was working as a Key Account Manager at an oil company and was tasked with improving a dirty industrial washing machine. In the process in question, oil was washed off the product in preparation for the next step. The oil was collected and then sent for disposal. Together with Rocco Oil, they investigated what had actually changed in the used oil. It contained water from the washing process and dirt from the production process. By collecting and purifying the oil, it could be recycled and reused. Niklas described how this reuse had continued for several years.
That first result also raised a new question. About 80 cubic meters of oil were sold annually for the machine in question, while the example described 35 cubic meters that could be recovered. What happened to the rest? When a waste stream that had previously been taken for granted began to be viewed as a resource, it also became important to understand where additional value was lost in the process.
The business model needs to give the parties a reason to participate
For reuse to be sustainable over time, it needs to fit into the business model. Niklas described a model in which Rocco Oil performs the purification as a service for the oil company, which then bills the customer for the reclaimed oil. The customer can reduce the cost of oil and waste management, Rocco Oil gets paid for the work, and the oil company maintains its margin on the oil it delivers.
The collaboration with oil companies also serves a technical purpose. He explained that agreements with certain suppliers make it possible to access information about the oil’s composition and fill in any missing details. The purification process can then be combined with restoration based on the specific oil in question.
This gave the lecture a clear business perspective on circularity. The change must address both the resources and the incentives of those who will be involved. Furthermore, the customer in the first example had set an internal price on carbon dioxide emissions in order to quantify the environmental savings. In this way, that aspect of the improvement could also be assigned a value in the decision-making process.
A sustainability policy does not automatically become a mission
Despite an offer of lower costs, reuse, and greater delivery reliability, the speaker explained that many customer discussions did not lead to further action. The question was posed openly to the audience: Why doesn’t anything happen when the benefits seem so clear?
One question from the audience concerned how sustainability goals are carried out within the organization. A company may have well-developed policies without them translating into concrete tasks for those working closest to production. There are already other demands competing for their time. If no one calls for the change or provides a clear “ Location ” for it in their work, a good idea may end up on the back burner. That explanation added another dimension to Niklas’s reasoning about culture. The willingness of individual employees needs to be matched by an organization that makes the change possible. Understanding the benefits is a prerequisite, but there also needs to be a path from overarching ambition to decision-making and implementation in day-to-day work.
Four Questions to Help You Start Seeing the Value That's Being Lost
The lecture concluded with four questions to consider in our own work: What are we losing today? What resources are we using without realizing their full potential? What old truths have we stopped questioning? And what would happen if we became 10 percent better at taking care of what we already have?
These questions provide a concrete starting point for examining what is used, consumed, and discarded. Oil served as the example in the lecture, but the perspective also encompassed the value inherent in energy, materials, and labor. The first task is to identify where resources are lost and to explore whether there is a better way to make use of them.
Summary of the Lecture
Sustainability as a strategy must be reflected in how resources are managed and how decisions are made. Rocco Oil’s example demonstrated how an established waste stream could become a reusable resource and how a business model can provide multiple parties with a reason to participate. At the same time, the discussion highlighted why clear benefits aren’t always enough: procedures, risk assessments, and competing demands influence what actually gets done. Niklas concluded by urging participants to question accepted truths and start making better use of the value that already exists within the organization.
What would you like to make better use of in your business? We’d be happy to discuss anything that sparked a thought or a question, as well as what’s standing in the way of change for you. Get in touch, and together we’ll explore where the next step might begin.