The brief

The Covanta name originated in 2001, when the US waste solutions company chose it to signal “cooperation” plus “advantages” as a reference to the importance of working together to solve challenges in sustainability. By the 2020s it had become dated and tainted with past issues.

As part of a comprehensive rebrand, they approached us to inject new life into the brand by repositioning it with a message more fitting for the times. They wanted to tell a bolder, clearer story about their commitment to facing today’s challenges.   

The process

Having a heavily coined, portmanteau name like Covanta meant the client was very keen on a name that sounded like a real word, or as close to one as possible.

We used our unique naming process to generate, co-evaluate and then shortlist suitable names before submitting favorites for qualitative research. It was vital that the name aligned with the new, bolder positioning. It had to send a positive message without overpromising or greenwashing. 

The final name

Reworld is a rare gem – a real word that’s easy to say and spell, with a meaning that was perfect for our purposes: “To reshape, recreate or reimagine the world, often in a positive or transformative way.”    

The client loved how the Re- prefix could lend itself so well to service line nomenclature as well as campaigns and other messaging.  It was the bold statement of intent they wanted.

Reduce, reuse, recycle. Rethink what’s possible. Reworld.