About
Mind the Zebra
We are not generalists. We work across the full DRS lifecycle:
Prime the system
Build understanding, alignment and momentum from day one.
Knowledge workshops • Executive training • Stakeholder coordination
Architect the model
Design robust, future-proof systems grounded in financial and operational reality.
Feasibility & system design • Strategy & positioning • Financial modelling • Best-practice benchmarking
Institutionalise the framework
Embed governance, policy and organisational foundations that endure.
Legislative alignment • EU compliance • Governance structuring • Organisational design
Execute & elevate
Deliver nationally, lead operationally and continuously improve performance.
Implementation & rollout • Interim executive leadership • System optimisation • Ongoing training
Our experience spans Europe, Asia and the Americas. Through close collaboration with experienced DRS operators and European trade associations, we ensure that systems are not only well-designed—but workable in practice. We bridge policy, operations and industry—turning circular ambition into operational reality.
About
Raymond Gianotten
Raymond Gianotten (NL – 1972) is one of Europe’s most experienced leaders in Deposit Return Systems (DRS), with over two decades at the forefront of policy design, operational execution and international system implementation.
His career in EPR/DRS began in 2002 within the Dutch beverage trade association, where he quickly became a recognised expert in packaging and environmental policy. Early in his career, he co-designed and prepared the Dutch deposit system for large one-way PET bottles (2005–2006), leading to his appointment in 2007 as Managing Director of the Dutch deposit operator.
Under his leadership, the Dutch DRS expanded to include small PET bottles (2021) and cans (2023). Between 2012 and 2018, he also served as Secretary General of the Dutch beverage association, combining operational leadership with strategic industry representation.
Today, Raymond advises producers, DRS administrators, governments, and industry coalitions on the design, governance and optimisation of DRS. He supports full system development—from feasibility and policy frameworks to implementation, optimisation and performance improvement. His international work includes contributions to DRS development in various countries inside and outside Europe.
In 2025, he was appointed Interim Lead for the UK Deposit Management Organisation, helping to build a best-in-class system in preparation for its launch in 2027.
Raymond is the author of Everything You Need to Know About DRS, commissioned by UNESDA and NMWE—now widely used as a foundational reference across the industry.
He combines deep technical expertise with hands-on operational leadership and a clear strategic vision: building circular systems that perform in practice—not just on paper.