GOING ‘Recycling pays!’ CIRCULAIR?best+practices.pdf · Peeze coffee roasters CUPS WITH A CLEAN...


FOREWORD

CIRCULAR BUSINESS PAYS!Circular business demands a sea change in our thinking. Along with depletion in raw materials, we also aim to cut our CO2 emissions. Nowadays, many entrepreneurs want to mitigate their business risks by having a greater say in the raw materials they use. Reason enough to move from the linear economy to the circular one. It’s a big challenge, but one which brings great rewards.

In a circular economy, all materials are reused in an expert manner. Nothing is thrown away or incinerated. Nature has been doing this for billions of years, through a system of closed loops based on diversity and energy from the sun. Nature can teach us a great deal. Businesses that cooperate with numerous suppliers and customers are flexible and less vulnerable. Circular enterprise is lucrative from an economic point of view too. Market research agency, McKinsey, has estimated that the manufacturing industry could make savings of between 340 and 630 billion dollars annually.

TURNING EXPENDITURE INTO PROFITMany of the projects entered for the Circular Icons Projects 2015 were certainly inspirational. It was thrilling to see the diversity of these entries. The eventual winner, Vitens, initially saw residual products from water treatment as a cost item, but now makes a profit from them. Other projects are either at the pilot or introductory stage, but remain promising. The fifty Dutch enterprises listed in this brochure provide a good example of how things can be done.

NaamProfessor Louise E.M. Vet

BusinessNetherlands Institute for Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) and Wageningen

University and jury chairman of the Circular Icons Projects 2015 contest

‘Nature recycles everything. Much can be learned’


PEEZE COFFEE ROASTERS | PEP BUSINESS CREATORS BV | KROMKOMMER | INSTOCK | ROTTERZWAM | DRENTEA OFFICE FURNITURE

Peeze coffee roasters

CUPS WITH A CLEAN CONSCIENCE

The familiar coffee capsules that have been developed for Nespresso coffee machines contain a lot of plastic and aluminium and, as such, harm the environment. It doesn’t have to be this way, Peeze thought. Together with Advanced Technology Innovations, the coffee roasters developed an alternative that was free of any fossil materials. The result is a cup whose constituents include sugar beet residue and polylactic acid, both biodegradable materials. These capsules no longer need to be disposed of as plastic waste, but can now be treated as organic waste. What’s more, the capsules can be filled with climate-neutral, organic, fair-trade coffee. Following a series of quality tests, these biodegradable cups will soon be available in shops: at long last, a sustainable alternative for a rapidly growing market.

PEP Business Creators BV

GENUINE ORGANICALLY GROWN FLOWERS

It is estimated that, in the Netherlands alone, three billion plastic plant pots are used every year, often only once. PEP Business Creators BV shows that garden plants and flowers can be grown and sold 100% according to organic principles. The business now sells sustainably cultivated hydrangeas under the Forever&Ever label. The pots they use may well be plastic, but nurseries are re-using these as much as possible and then sending them away for recycling. Plants are marketed in biodegradable pots with labels, thus bringing about marked savings in the social costs of waste disposal. Likewise, Forever&Ever nurseries use a closed water system and organic pesticides. What’s more, any unsold hydrangeas are not thrown away by the garden centres: now they can be sent back to the nurseries and kept in warm conditions over the winter.

https://peeze.nl/en/

http://pepbc.nl/



Kromkommer

HOW COME CUCUMBERS ARE CROOKED?

Too fat, too thin, too damaged, too lumpy or too crooked. Five to ten percent of vegetables in the Netherlands are thrown away because they do not satisfy accepted norms, even though there’s nothing wrong with the way they taste. Kromkommer (literally ‘crooked cucumber’) saves these vegetables and turns them into something new, such as soup. Fundamental to combating this wastage, according to Kromkommer, is collaboration with other partners. To this end, the ‘Krommunity’ has come into existence, an association of parties across the whole of the food chain: from growers and restaurants to shops and, of course, the consumer. After all, at the end of the day, who’s going to notice whether the cucumber in your salad is crooked or not?

http://www.kromkommer.com/english/



Instock

TURNING FOOD WASTE INTO SOMETHING UNEXPECTED

Every year, around 50 kilos of food are thrown away by the average Dutch person - that’s 2.5 billion euros worth of food! Restaurants, producers and other intermediaries are wasting around the same amount. Instock has come up with the idea of a restaurant, a snack bar and a food stall where - almost exclusively - products are used which would otherwise end up in the waste bin. This not-for-profit organisation collects around 1,000 kilos of food every week from Albert Heijn supermarkets which has passed its sell-by date. They also save “flawed” products such as square-shaped sprouts, overripe bananas and lumpy courgettes. Not only does it help combat ingrained attitudes to food waste, but it also produces some exciting cuisine. After all, for both the chef and the consumer, what eventually lands on the plate can be quite a surprise.

RotterZwam

GROUNDS FOR USING COFFEE SUSTAINABLY

Who would have thought coffee grounds could be recycled? In fact, they are ideal as a basis for growing oyster mushrooms. RotterZwam, a young Rotterdam-based enterprise, collects coffee grounds from local pubs and restaurants, adds coffee husks and mushroom spawn and suspends it all in a bag in a special grow room. The latter is an old riverside swimming pool in downtown Rotterdam. In the space of a week, 50 kilos of oyster mushrooms can be produced, sold to restaurants, shops and private customers in the city. The entire process is sustainable and local - an outstanding example of the circular economy. Rather than shun the competition, RotterZwam is only too keen to share their know-how actively with others and encourage others to take up mushroom cultivation.

http://www.instock.nl/en/

http://www.mushrooms-at-home.com/



Drentea Office Furniture

GREENIFICATION OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR

Would you like to know precisely what the circular economy entails? Then why not take a look at GreenField in Emmen? Drentea, designer and producer of steel products, has redeveloped this 20,000 m2 park and garden space adjacent to its production site. In doing so, they have helped turn an industrial zone into a green oasis, as well as creating something truly sustainable. All features associated with green engineering and social innovation are represented here. The crops being grown there are used in the manufacture of new products, and (raw) materials can likewise be developed and tested. GreenField was opened in 2015 in collaboration with the Province of Drenthe, the Municipality of Emmen and various companies. Educational institutes are using the location to carry out practical assignments and projects. One bonus is that organic fruit and vegetables are grown here for the local food bank.

http://www.drentea.com/


INFRALINQ | SUSTAINER HOMES | C2C EXPOLAB | DE MARKT OP PERRON 9 | CIRKELSTAD

Anne Koudstaal and Simon Jorritsma,

KWS advisers

‘Plastic is an ideal material for recycling’

KWS, PART OF VOLKERWESSELS

ROAD SURFACES FROM PET BOTTLES AND PLASTIC WASTEWhy are we still using the same old materials for road-surfacing? Isn’t it better to build our roads with smarter construction materials and breathe new life into our waste? That’s what Anne Koudstaal and Simon Jorritsma, KWS consultants, asked themselves. They came up with an alternative for asphalt, steel and concrete.

“What road-users and statutory authorities really want is a road surface that lasts, is quick to build, requires little maintenance and is safe. Our current roads are built to last 50 years and need regular maintenance. That means frequent delays and spiralling costs. We came up with the idea of a light, modular design with a hollow interior. This allows drain-off of rainwater and provides space for cables. Recycled plastic turned out to be ideal for the design of our ‘PlasticRoad’.”

KNOWLEDGE OF PLASTICPlasticRoad lasts three times longer than traditional roads and building them is 80% faster. We have attracted widespread interest. Our aim is to implement a pilot scheme in the public domain and develop the PlasticRoad further. To this end we are in talks with partners and experts with a knowledge of plastics. We’re also looking at the possibilities of using plastic waste from the oceans. It would also be great if we could use plastic waste collected by local authorities. In this way, people would be able to see the benefits of waste sorting at first hand in their own neighbourhoods.”

Contact: Anne Koudstaal, [email protected], www.kws.nl

Nominated for Circular Icons Projects 2015



Sustainer Homes

HOLIDAYING IN A SHIPPING CONTAINER

Could you live in a shipping container? Sustainer Homes’ answer is a resounding yes. The company converts redundant containers into bona fide dwellings which are self-supporting and sustainable. What’s more, container homes can be moved to anywhere within just two days, or used as a holiday home or as a more permanent dwelling. Sustainer Homes uses as much recycled material as possible and works intensively with other companies which embrace the circular economy. Designer chairs are printed in 3D from plastic recycled from old refrigerators and the sofas upholstered in used denim.

C2C ExpoLAB

A GREENER, FRIENDLIER FUTURE FOR VENLO

The City of Venlo has opened new municipal offices. Not just any old offices, but a building built in line with cradle-to-cradle principles. The building makes a positive contribution to society, the environment and the economy. But how exactly? A healthy and safe working environment comes first and foremost and lots of green promotes a happy working climate. A green exterior helps purify the air and ensures natural ventilation. The building’s exterior is ‘watered’ using the rainwater collected. Thanks to the large windows and the solar panels, the building is able to optimise use of the sun, its key source of energy. Because most parts of the building can be dismantled individually, a constant cycle of raw materials is possible. And by reducing workplace absenteeism by just 1%, the municipality can expect to make 480,000 euros annually in savings.

http://sustainerhomes.nl/

http://www.c2cexpolab.eu/en/



De markt op perron 9

A NEW PLATFORM FOR RECYCLING

For almost a century they served to shelter the travelling public from the weather, but soon they will provide a roof under which fish and vegetables are sold. The canopies from platform 9 at Utrecht’s Central Station have been relocated to Leidsche Rijn, the city’s newest neighbourhood. There, the nineteenth-century cast-iron canopies are being given a new lease of life as part of an open market and events venue known as ‘De markt op perron 9’, or ‘The market on platform 9’. These traditional structures have been strengthened with the aid of modern technology on the initiative of BureauNegenTien, the body which is responsible for overseeing the development of Leidsche Rijn. The intention is that the canopies will continue to be used for at least another 100 years at a new location around 200 metres from the railway.

Cirkelstad

A CITY WITHOUT WASTE - IS THAT POSSIBLE?

Building without waste by using rubble from demolition for new construction materials is no longer pie in the sky. Since 2007, waste materials have been used in Rotterdam for new construction and renovation projects. Cirkelstad is the name that has been given to a concept, tried and trusted at a local level, but which is now being rolled out nationally so that cities can be built without the need for waste. Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht and Amersfoort have since adopted the concept. In each of these cities, around 10 to 20 public and private players have joined forces to create a circular building sector, both in terms of architecture and building engineering systems. These projects are also opening up work opportunities for those who would otherwise find it difficult to access the labour market. In order to get other towns and cities involved, a so-called ‘Green Deal’ has been made with central government. In so doing, parties commit themselves to closing the loop of building and demolition.

https://www.regioleidscherijn.nl/2014/09/01/bureau-negentien/

http://www.cirkelstad.nl/


VITENS | MEERLANDEN | ROVA | MOONEN PACKAGING | FRIESLAND CAMPINA | RHDHV | CLOSING THE LOOP

Birgitta Kramer, Sustainability Manager

Alexander Laarman, Valorisation Manager

‘Responsible for water and for all the (raw) materials it contains’

VITENS

WATER AS A SOURCE OF THE CIRCULAR ECONOMYVitens spends approximately 1.8 million euros a year disposing of residual products from water purification. Valorisation Manager, Alexander Laarman, explains a new method of re-using these materials productively. It’s not only worthwhile commercially, but environmentally too.

“Annually, we produce 350 million m3 of drinking water. This releases about 60,000 tons of by-products, such as calcium, iron and humic acid, which are expensive to separate. We wondered whether there were other ways of doing this”

“We soon discovered that these by-products could be used effectively in other sectors. Detailed studies, in collaboration with the University of Wageningen, RoyalHaskoning DHV and others, led to us changing our modus operandi, so that these by-products can now be sold at a profit. We developed a production method whereby our humic acid could be put to use as a high-quality soil improver. More recently, we were the first water company in the world to be awarded the GMP+ certificate. Thanks to this, we can also put our chalk pellets and humic acid to good use in the animal feed industry.”

GROUNDWATER QUALITY“Not only does this mean we now earn money from our waste flows, it brings about cleaner groundwater, the source of our drinking water. For a long time, the agricultural industry which shares our catchment areas has pursued its own, sometimes conflicting, agenda. Now that we can produce such natural soil improvers as humic acid and chalk pellets, we are able to cooperate productively and complement each other’s objectives: better crop yields and high-quality drinking water.”

Contact: Alexander Laarman, [email protected], www.vitens.nl

Circular Icons Projects Winner 2015

http://www.vitens.nl/english/Pages/default.aspx



Meerlanden

‘WASTE’ IS NO LONGER THE RIGHT WORD

In the past, fruit and vegetable waste would get put on the compost heap and used for agricultural purposes. Meerlanden, a waste processing company in Rijsenhout, Noord Holland, is changing all this. Before being turned into compost, waste fruit and veg undergoes fermentation in their new plant. This process produces five new products: heat, CO2 and compost for the horticultural industry, green gas for vehicles and water for road sweepers. The plant is proving that waste is so much more than a residual product. It produces enough gas to power Meerlanden’s now carbon-neutral fleet of refuse trucks and to supply other parties. In fact, so much that Meerlanden has christened the plant ‘The Green Energy Factory’. This ‘factory’ and other associated installations save around 16 million kilos of CO2 emissions every year.

ROVA

CIRCULAR LIVING STARTS AT HOME

Modern enterprises have a responsibility to treat waste more sustainably, but so too do households. To this end a joint venture, called ROVA, has been set up to help local authorities process their waste more efficiently. A good example of this is the 100-100-100 project. Together with various waste-processing outfits, ROVA asked 100 households to apply circular principles in full for 100 days. Experts provide families with instructions and tips in minimising their waste. While the average Dutch person produces 210 kilos of waste every year, participants in this project produced only 22.5 kilos, almost 90% less. More and more local authorities and households are keen to introduce similar schemes. If it were up to ROVA, there would be so many participants that circular living became the most normal thing in the world.

http://www.meerlanden.nl/

http://www.rova.nl/



100% GOOD!

JUST START STACKING

COFFEE

THE CYCLE STARTS WITH SUGARCANE:

WASTE OF SUGAR PRODUCTION IS TURNED TO PAPER

FROM THIS SUGARCANE PAPER WE PRODUCE CUPS

WE STACK THEM AND DRIVE THEM TO YOUR OFFICES

YOU ENJOY YOUR COFFEE. AT THE END OF THE DAYYOU JUST STACK YOUR CUPS IN THE COLLECTOR SYSTEM

WE COLLECT THE STACKED CUPS

THE CUPS ARE TURNED TO COMPOST

LET THE CYCLE START AGAIN!

B R O U G H T T O Y O U B Y M O O N E N PA C K A G I N G

WWW.STACK-IT.NL

Moonen Packaging

DRINKING COFFEE FROM A CUP MADE OF COMPOST

Compost to compost, without any loss of energy. That, in short, is what the Stack-It project - developed by Moonen Pacakging - is all about. How does it work? Disposable coffee cups made from waste sugar cane are collected, stacked (to save on space) and, through a process of fermentation, turned into compost and biogas. This compost is then used as a fertiliser for other plants, which are then turned into coffee cups. What’s more, the biogas is used to power the vans that transport the cups. If, in the future, more coffee roasters start supplying these sugar cane cups and more businesses start using them, the coffee cups can be recycled ad infinitum.

Friesland Campina

MANURE AS A VIABLE, GREEN PRODUCT

In one way or another, the dairy industry has a big impact on the environment. And to be fair, it still has a lot to learn. The Dutch Biorefinery Cluster, a cooperative of five farms and various other parties, is tackling the problem with the Mest de Groene Motor project - literally, manure as the green engine. A major burden on the environment is the huge manure surplus caused by the livestock industry. Using new technologies, the manure produced by the farmers of Friesland Campina, is processed into bio-fuel, new-generation fertilisers and nutrients. The ultimate aim is to close the loop from animal feeds to recycled raw materials. It’s not only good for society and for nature, the dairy cooperative is also delivering a viable product from an expensive waste flow.

http://corporate.moonenpackaging.com/en

https://www.frieslandcampina.com/en/



RHDHV

MANAGING THE ENTIRE CHAIN OF OLD COMPUTERS

Every year, a million workstations in the Netherlands get replaced with new hardware. Currently, discarded computer components are sent abroad for disposal, where they often end up as e-waste. Despite this, ICT equipment written off by businesses is extremely suitable for recycling. Recover-E aims to optimise the chain and close the loop for computers. The organisation, set up by technology consultants RoyalHaskoningDHV and ICT business SiSo, wants to do this by closely monitoring the various phases in the life of a computer. This means contact with users of new computers, reconditioning of hardware, a leasing contract with second-hand users and intensive monitoring of the recycling process. This is not only logical and sustainable, it has also been estimated to bring about annual savings of 250 million euros.

Closing the Loop

MOBILE PHONE RECYCLING

Around two billion mobile telephones are sold around the world each year. Only half a billion are recycled, so it takes little imagination to realise what a mountain of electronic waste this creates. Closing the Loop aims to extend the life of good-condition mobile phones by giving them a second life in Asia or Africa. Once a mobile has reached the end of its working life, Closing the Loop buys it back for recycling in Europe. This means that raw materials that would otherwise get dumped or incinerated with the rest of the mobile phone, or simply end up in a drawer, are returned to the production chain. This reduces demand for metal extraction and waste collection becomes a source of income in developing countries. Through a programme of intense collaboration with various parties, the aim is for 80% of all mobiles to be recycled over ten years.

http://www.royalhaskoningdhv.com/

http://english.closingtheloop.eu/


PHILIPS | PELICAN HOUSE | SEW EURODRIVE | SAPA | FLOOW2 | FAIRPHONE | BUNDLES

Philips

PUTTING A DIFFERENT LIGHT ON THINGS

The idea behind Circular Lighting is that lights are only used, not purchased. The latest business model for professional interior lighting has been developed by Philips in collaboration with Turntoo. The lighting system is a fully-owned Philips product, so the concern has every intention of making a product that can be used over and over again. Now, anyone can use this durable LED lighting in line with the latest technologies. Customers need not worry about maintenance and service, this is looked after by Philips. Schiphol and Bruynzeel are amongst the first to take advantage of Circular Lighting. In this way, they save on energy, the lighting retains its value and they operate sustainably.

Pelican House

LIKE CIRCULAR MUSIC TO THE EARS

Every year, we throw over 15 million headsets and earpieces away. Often the cause is a minor defect or a broken lead. According to the founders of Pelican House, that’s just a waste, so they set about designing headsets with parts that were replaceable. The sound is clear and sharp. The design is fully in line with Dutch Design, that is sleek and functional. The big challenge is to get potential users used to the idea of leasing the product. Users pay 5 euros a month for the headphone, but if something unexpectedly goes wrong or gets worn out, Pelican will replace the part free within four days. At the end of their lifespan, almost all the components get recycled. In this way, the designers are doing their bit to realise their dream of a world of exclusively circular consumer electronics.

http://www.lighting.philips.co.uk/home?locale_code=en_us&remember_locale=en_gb

http://pelicanhouse.nl/



SEW Eurodrive

REBUILDING THE ORIGINAL WITH SEPARATE PARTS

Drive and control technology, that is industrial automation, is not the sexiest industry imaginable, but for many production companies it’s a vital one. What’s more, it’s a sector which lends itself par excellence to new opportunities, especially when it comes to sustainable materials. SEW-EURODRIVE is one of the major players in the development of motion control and industrial gearboxes. They produce motors and gearmotors, often referred to simply as ‘drives’. These drive units are extremely suitable for reconditioning, or as the company prefers to say, ‘remanufacturing’. In the event of a defect, SEW-EURODRIVE strips the unit down, replaces the defective parts and unusable metal parts are recycled. It’s just like a modern construction set. The company remanufactures around 2000 ‘old’ drives per year.

Sapa

SHEDDING NEW LIGHT ON RECYCLING

For the last 50 years or so, Sapa has been developing and producing lamp-posts, flagpoles and traffic signal poles. One of its core values is effective recy-cling of all its materials. To all intents and purposes, aluminium – Sapa’s basic raw material – is ideally suited for this, being 100% recyclable. When an old lamp-post gets replaced, the com-pany removes it in full, strips it, melts it down and uses the scrap for the production of a new one. The company may also decide to give the old lamp-post a complete facelift. In either case, environmentally friendly paint and durable tape will be used, so that the upgrades are also fully recyclable. In es-sence, it looks like the same lamp-post, just a lot further down the line in terms of the circular economy.

http://www.sew-eurodrive.nl/

http://www.sapagroup.com/en/sapa-pole-products/



FLOOW2

WORKING TOGETHER ON THE ONLINE EXCHANGE

When people talk about the circular economy, they often use words like ‘re-use’ and ‘recycle’. Important, of course, but FLOOW2 concentrates its efforts on harnessing over-capacity. By providing a website, it aims to stimulate the active sharing economy amongst the business community. FLOOW2 is the first major online platform on which businesses and organisations can actively work together and share their ideas, products and services, as well as the knowledge and expertise of their employees. In effect, the website is a response to developments which have been prevalent among consumers for some time now. Only now is the busi-ness-to-business community catching up. Once convinced of its benefits, businesses are able to operate more sustainably and economically, as well as use resources more efficiently.

http://www.floow2.nl/deelmarktplaats.html



Fairphone

A DURABLE, ETHICAL AND SMART MOBILE PHONE

For most people, buying a new phone every two years has become the rule rather than the exception. That has an enormous impact on both society and the environment, not least because a lot of the raw materials are mined in conflict zones. Fairphone developed the first ever ethical phone in the world without a drop of blood being spilt. Furthermore, the device is intended to last at least five years. To this end, repairs to the smartphone are kept comparatively simple; spare parts are easy to get hold of and software is relatively future-proof. It hasn’t always been easy to convince consumers to keep hold of a phone for that length of time. Nevertheless, the fact that the Fairphone 2 was recently launched and the total number of devices sold will soon reach 100,000 is a sign of its success.

Bundles

CLEAN CLOTHES ACHIEVED ECONOMICALLY

When you purchase something, in theory, you are breaking the circular chain. So Bundles has developed a system of using a washing machine that we do not own. This start-up company installs and repairs the machines, which means it is easy to re-use them effectively or recycle their parts. But Bundles does a lot more than just rent out and maintain washing machines. The so-called Wash App comes with tips on how to minimise the use of energy, water and detergent. And because their Miele machines are connected to the internet, they automatically match the amount of detergent to the quantity of laundry. If Bundles has its way, this principle has a promising future. In theory, the software system can be applied to other household appliances, such as kitchen devices, boilers and solar panels.

https://www.fairphone.com/

https://www.bundles.nl/#!lang=en


DESKO | INTERFACE | SOUPALICIOUS | WEDER | BMA | GISPEN

Desko

REPLACING RATHER THAN DISCARDING FURNITURE

On average, (office) furniture is replaced every seven years. Whereas most people like new things, they often forget that existing products or components can be given a new lease of life. Many parts of discarded office furniture are still in good condition according to office furnisher, Desko. The company has built up a lot of know-how when it comes to furniture recycling. However, circular refurnishing is still unchartered territory for many professionals in the office and construction industry. Desko aims to change all this with its Circular Design Lab (LAB) at The Valley, an innovation zone in Schiphol Trade Park. The LAB is home to a number of players who are involved in the circular manufacture of their products, services and/or business model. This enables them to promote their own skills whilst at the same time doing their bit for a better world.

Interface

SPINNING YARNS FROM FISHING NETS

Killing two birds with one stone. That’s one way of describing Net-Works, the project that transforms redundant fishing nets into raw materials for new carpets. Not only is a new use found for old fishing nets, the fibres are no longer any danger to sea life. What’s more, the project helps give a new impulse to the local economy because less well-off coastal communities get paid by the kilo. The project initiator is Interface, which has been developing carpet tiles from largely recycled materials for twenty years. In partnership with yarn manufacturer, Aquafil, and the environmental organisation, the Zoological Society of London, in 2012 Net-Works started working on the Danajon Bank coral reef in the Philippines and at the start of 2015 on Lake Ossa in Cameroon. Since 2013, the local fishing community has collected almost 70,000 kilos of nets.

https://www.desko.nl/

http://net-works.com/en/



Soupalicious

SOUP AND FURNITURE FROM WASTE

Leftovers from farming or fishing can be ideal for making soup. Add an attractive location with snazzy furniture and an enthusiastic group of young people and you have Soupalicious. This Amsterdam-based restaurant is an initiative of the Dutch food banks. For every bowl of soup sold, a bowl of soup is supplied to the food bank. Cabinet-makers Herso fitted out the restaurant with their own furniture made from waste wood. Interior fittings have not been bought, but leased. The soup formula has proved an enormous success. Talks are now taking place to open up four new sites and, in collaboration with organic wholesalers Udea, plans are afoot to build a soup factory in Veghel.

Weder

FURNITURE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE

A lot of precious raw materials get thrown away, despite a growing demand for these. The idea behind this project - Weder’s core business - is to give new life to discarded furniture. Wooden chairs, for example, are carefully selected from furniture that has been traded in. They are then sandblasted and finished with varnish and a coating. Using special techniques, this is performed by staff who would otherwise have difficulty entering the labour market, thus demonstrating Weder’s social commitment. The furniture label refers to this upgrading of cast-off products as ‘upcycling’. In close collaboration with producers, suppliers and centres of excellence, Weder is constantly seeking new methods of upcycling waste flows. In this way, new life is breathed into an ever increasing number of products.

http://soupalicious.nl/

http://weder.nu/



BMA

SMART CHAIRS CAN LAST LONGER

What a waste! That’s what BMA Ergonomics, a manufacturer of office furniture, thinks about chairs which are thrown out just because a wheel has broken or the upholstery torn. They came up with the Axia, a chair that lasts longer thanks to its modular design. The upholstery and the armrest can be replaced quickly and easily to give the chair a brand new look. Development and production of the chair is carried out in-house in their Zwolle-based factory.The company is committed to at least doubling the life of its chairs over the next four years. After reaching their allotted lifespan, they are bought back by BMA for reconditioning of parts or given a second life. Literally every screw is recycled!

Gispen

A LIFELONG PIECE OF FURNITURE

According to Gispen, a manufacturer of designer furniture, the ultimate in circular design is furniture that lasts a lifetime. In short, a chair, settee or table that is designed to adapt to the changing needs of its users. But also a product that goes through the whole cycle, from repair, adaptation, reconditioning and finally recycling. A good example of this is the celebrated Gispen 412. Even after being upholstered, the armchair remains a much sought- after item. As of 2016, Gispen now focuses its efforts on producing future-proof furniture. One example of this is the Nomi, a chair designed in such a way that modules and materials can be alternated. The purchaser can trade in armrests, the seat and upholstery without the chair deteriorating. This form of reconditioning helps maintain product quality while at the same time minimising the impact on the environment.

https://www.bma-ergonomics.com/en/

http://www.gispen.com/


VAN HOUTUM | GREEN4PRINT BV | NNRGY | ENVELOPE BOOK

Bas Gehlen,CEO of Van Houtum

‘It’s great to see how success can be brought about through collaboration’

VAN HOUTUM

FROM MILK CARTON TO TOILET ROLLWaste paper is becoming increasingly scarce and used toilet paper cannot be recycled. Van Houtum has come up with a solution to the impending raw materials shortage: CEO, Bas Gehlen, is proud of the way in which famers, local authorities and suppliers have worked together.

“You need this kind of cooperation to get a product like this on the market: from Phi-lip, the Zeeland-based farm which cultivates the elephant grass to SUEZ, which looks after the supply of drinks cartons and Hedra, the organisation that encourages and supports waste collection. All players in the chain have to be working in sync.”

SAFE CHEMICALS“Is it technically feasible to produce toilet paper from these materials? And if so, does the process use safe chemicals? This was the big challenge we faced, but one which we also overcame. The drink cartons do not undergo any chemical treatment. Literally everything is used. For a large part, these cartons consist of paper fibre. The plastic and aluminium, which remains from these cartons once the fibre has been extracted, is used as a basis for plastic conversion.”

“As such, we are making a major contribution to the circular economy. In 2016 we will process no fewer than 12,000 tons of drink cartons. Over time, this figure will grow and be augmented by coffee cups and elephant grass. The first toilet paper made from these materials will come onto the market in 2016.”

Contact: Bas Gehlen, [email protected], www.vanhoutum.nl/en




Green4Print

ORGANIC PIGMENTS FOR PRINTING INK

Green4Print supplies products such as printing ink, dampening solution, lacquers and varnishes to the printing industry. In the main, these products are all contaminants. Green4Print however, removes these hazardous substances from these printing consumables. No use is made of water or bleaching agents in the production of paper and the printing inks consist only of organic pigments. Despite this extraction, the quality of the end product does not suffer. Cooperation with printers, colleges and innovative businesses is an essential requirement. The determining factor in all this is the cradle-to-cradle principle. In essence, this means the recycling of products without the loss of quality. Ecological and sustainable products, which are considerably healthier for people who have to work with them.

NNRGY Crops

GIVING UNUSED BUILDING LAND A NEW PURPOSE

In the Netherlands around 35,000 hectares of unused building land is available for development. New development may not go ahead, but neither is the land suitable for crop cultivation. However, the land is ideal for growing elephant grass, which thrives on poor soils and needs no fertiliser. Elephant grass is a suitable material for 3D printable concrete, bio-plastic and paper. It grows quickly and absorbs lots of CO2. To some extent this can compensate for the loss of tropical forest. NNRGY Crops has been planting the grass at various sites and is encouraging local authorities and companies to participate. The company is seeking out suitable partners for each project and wants to put the crop to local use as much as possible.

http://www.green4print.com/

http://www.nnrgy.com/



EnvelopeBook

A SECOND LIFE FOR USED ENVELOPES

Blank paper often gets recycled without any further ado. This means it is transformed into lower quality paper using large quantities of water. This is sheer waste according to EnvelopeBook. The company decided to collect used letterheads and envelopes and transform these into luxury notebooks and notepads. If a company redesigns its house style, EnvelopeBook will collect batches of old paper. Since 2010 it has recycled around 10,000 10,000 kilos of paper. In exchange for this, EnvelopeBook profiles the company’s CSO credentials on its website and social media. Companies can also choose to use their old envelopes in a form of direct recycling. In the future, closer collaboration with the printing and paper-processing industries must help save the humble envelope’s demise into the anonymous mountain of waste paper.

http://www.envelopebook.com/


BLACK BEAR | TELGA | SUEZ/ QCP | REFIL BV | DE MOBIELE FABRIEK B.V. | STONECYCLING | OV-FIETS RECYCLE

Martijn Lopes Cardozo, CEO of Black Bear

‘Millions of old tyres are burned, including valuable

raw materials’

BLACK BEAR

CAR TYRE TAKES ON NEW LIFEGlobally, more than 1 billion car tyres are produced every year. At the same time, another 1 billion are disposed of. The production and waste-processing of tyres are both environmentally harmful. Martijn Lopes Cardozo, CEO of Black Bear asks “Why not make new tyres from old ones?”

“Our technology is completely new. Through comprehensive testing and constant tinkering, we have now succeeded in producing a sustainable carbon black. From the very outset we got end-users, such as Michelin and Vredestein, involved. They stipulated the product requirements and carried out tests themselves. Our product is now able to compete with carbon black produced from crude oil. Companies such as AkzoNobel (Sikkens) have also been showing an interest in the production of paint.”

MASSIVE CO2 SAVINGS“We struck a joint venture deal with the Kargro Group, the biggest collectors of used tyres in the Benelux. We set up Dutch Green Carbon together to install the first ever commercial plant. Rabobank and the regional energy fund for Limburg (LEF) also chipped in to the tune of 10 million euros. One plant can process around 1.5 million old tyres every year. This represents bigger savings in CO2 than can be absorbed by 1 million trees. Crude oil is no longer needed in their production. We are currently hard at work exporting our expertise and technological know-how. For instance, we are seeking out partners in Europe, Asia and the US to open up new plants. With 1 billion old tyres every year, over 800 plants will be able to run at a profit. Our aim is to save around 1 billion tons of CO2 over 7 years.”

Contact: Martijn Lopes Cardozo, [email protected], www.blackbearcarbon.com




Telga

SECOND-HAND: AS GOOD AS NEW OR EVEN BETTER

Around 13% of the Dutch prefer to use a good second-hand smartphone than a new one according to a recent survey by Deloitte. Green Mobile, an initiative of telecom firm Telga, satisfies this demand. The company takes back used mobile phones, reconditions their parts, removes the data and gives the telephones a facelift. Worn out parts are recycled. More than 10,000 phones have already been recycled in the past 18 months. These have been mainly for the business market, but in the future there are plans to make them available to private consumers. Apart from doing your bit for a more sustainable world, you will also receive a small fee for the phone you trade in and a two-year warranty on your reconditioned mobile. Green Mobile envisages re-using at least 20% of all smartphones by 2020.

SUEZ/QCP

WASTE PLASTIC FOR TOMORROW’S PACKAGING

The factory of the future is what QCP’s plant is being referred to as. Located close to Maastricht, the company, in conjunction with energy provider SUEZ, is transforming recycled polymers into high-quality raw materials. In other words, plastic from household and industrial waste is being converted into new materials aimed at replacing plastic. Ultimately, the factory will produce 100 million kilos of granulate each year, representing an annual turnover of around 100 million euros. It is expected that this will create up to 100 direct and 200 indirect new jobs. Crucial to closing the loop is the fact that the same companies supplying the plastic are often users of the end-product: for example, producers of packaging, cars and household and electrical appliances.

http://www.telgagroep.nl/

http://www.qcpolymers.com/



Refil BV

REPLENISHING INK FROM CIRCULAR 3D PRINTERS

Ink which is used for ordinary printers can be used as a filament for 3D ones. ReFil makes this filament from used plastic, such as car dashboards, the inside of fridges or PET bottles. ReFil was established by Better Future Factory. The ideal of this design agency is to produce recyclable items from one of the sexiest industries of our age and so close the circle for 3D printing. This dream hasn’t yet been fulfilled, but it is not far away. Although the process of recycling can often be repeated, at a certain point, the quality of the plastics begins to deteriorate, just as with recycled paper. Attempts to improve the filaments yet further are ongoing, not least as a result of the intensive collaboration between partners in the chain.

De Mobiele Fabriek B.V.

BUILDING BLOCKS FORTHE FUTURE

Urban development, war and natural disasters: they can transform housing into a mountain of rubble. The debris produced is seen as waste and often used as aggregate for new motorways. But it can often be put to better uses. De Mobiele Fabriek has developed a special technique whereby this rubble can be changed back into housing. Bricks are created from the rubble in the same form as Lego bricks, just larger. The advantage of this is that extremely robust structures can be built without the need for cement, partly thanks to a specially written manual. This brings about savings in time and money, essential factors in rehousing homeless people. In fact, rubble is one of the worst offenders when it comes to ecological pollution. De Mobiele Fabriek has been able to show that rubble is an ideal material for closing the circle in this respect.

http://www.betterfuturefactory.com/

http://themobilefactory.org/



Stonecycling

COLOURFUL BRICKS FROM BUILDING RUBBLE

You can choose from salami, mushroom, caramel or truffle. But if you thought you were in a restaurant, then you’d be wrong! StoneCycling, based in Venlo, has developed a process which turns building and industrial waste into bricks. Experiments analysing the relationship between ceramic tiles and glass have produced some unusual results, such as red bricks with white spots, dubbed ‘salami’. StoneCycling is working with architects and ceramic experts to come up with more new designs. While the aesthetics remain important, long-term sustainability of the building industry is a key aspect. The bricks are made from 60-100% recycled materials and these are fired at temperatures which are 200 to 300 degrees less than normal. To meet the steadily growing demand, Stone Cycling has recently joined forces with SITA, one of the biggest waste-processing companies in the Netherlands.

OV-Fiets Recycle

OLD BIKES AS GOOD A NEW

More often than not, large companies with their own fleet of bikes, write them off long before they need to be, especially if you take the bike parts individually. This is true, for example, for rented bikes operated by the Dutch Railways for travellers. It was this in mind that the transport operator was prompted to ask bike manufacturer, Roetz-Bikes, to come up with a plan for bikes that were more than four years old. Their answer: ‘quite a lot’. In fact, once they had been taken apart, examined, cleaned, repaired, repainted and technically upgraded, they were as good as, or better than, new. The new-old bike consists of almost 70% recycled materials, thus avoiding the melting-down process that wastes so much energy. To round things off, the project also has a good cause: in its sheltered workplace, Roetz employs (technically skilled) staff who would otherwise find themselves out of work.

http://www.stonecycling.com

http://www.ns.nl/en/door-to-door/ov-fiets/ov-fiets-recycle.html


DUTCHSPIRIT | MUDJEANS | CREATIVE CITY LAB | VAN HULLEY | WASTE2WEAR | G-STAR | LENA LIBRARY | DUTCH AWEARNESS

Erik Toenhake, managing director of DutchSpirit

‘It’s exciting: will companies switch to sustainable

clothing?’

DUTCHSPIRIT

100% RECYCLABLE WORKWEARWorkwear, for example in the health-care or cleaning sector, usually only lasts about 18 months. Recycling is not possible because the material consists of polyester and cotton, which cannot be separated. Erik Toenhake, managing director of DutchSpirit: “The idea that we can throw away millions of kilos of clothing every year is outmoded.”

“Strong, well-made and comfortable to wear are the most important qualities we expect from workwear. That and its affordability. Durability may not be one of the main priorities, but we feel it’s time to change that. To this end, we asked Schoeller Textiles to develop a new kind of recyclable fabric specifically for workwear. They are experts in fabrics for the outdoor market, which are subject to similar requirements.”

MILLIONS OF METRES“Our new fabric consists exclusively of 100% recyclable polyester. In order to guarantee complete recycling, we have set up the ‘Open Platform Circular Workwear’. The fabric is available to all suppliers and manufacturers. Every year, the workwear industry in the Netherlands uses many millions of metres of fabric. In Europe as a whole, this amounts to between 400 and 500 million metres a year. There is enormous potential. However, we need a couple of leading players on the market who deem durability more important than price. From small beginnings, for example, if we can capture a 1% share of the Dutch market next year, we aim to grow gradually.”

Contact: Erik Toenhake, [email protected], www.dutchspirit.com




MUD Jeans

NEW LIFE BREATHED INTO OLD JEANS

Giving jeans a second or third life is what the Lease A Jeans concept, devised by MUD Jeans, envisages. The idea behind it is in the name: rather than being bought, the jeans are loaned for a fixed period, after which time the wearer can decide whether to keep them or send them back for upcycling into so-called vintage models. Recycling is also an option, in which case the fibres of the denim fabric are used to make other products, such as jumpers. The leasing and sustainability aspects help build a bond between customers and MUD Jeans. Even the details are circular and sustainable. For example, the labels are made from waste cotton and printed in organic ink. All products are made from organic cotton only by fair-trade organisations.

Creative City Lab

A SECOND LIFE FOR WOOLLY JUMPERS

Less than 1% of clothing in shops today is made from recycled materials. As a result of over-production, around 30% of all clothes produced never reach the wardrobe. The annual rubbish heap for used clothing in the Netherlands alone amounts to the equivalent of 350 football pitches, 70% of which ends up in the incinerator. Just three facts that spurred Creative City Lab on to start Wool2. The aim of this project is to create a trendy and affordable fashion collection from used wool. As a product, recycled wool is an attractive proposition, since the original cost price is higher than that of polyester and cotton. Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, Wool2 is now producing its first collection of woollen jumpers in collaboration with fabric shredders, spinners and knitters. Wool can be used for interior decorations and endless amounts of old wool can be imported from abroad.

http://www.mudjeans.eu/

http://www.creativecitylab.nl/



Van Hulley

HELPING WOMEN WITH BOXER SHORTS

Around fifteen women at the Van Hulley sewing studio are in the business of transforming shirts into boxer shorts. No longer do you need to throw away your favourite shirt. What’s more, you’ll be helping to save the environment by bypassing the cotton production process. Importantly, Van Hullay also has a social side to it. The studio employs seamstresses who would otherwise have difficulty accessing the labour market. This Groningen-based set-up provides them with work experience and also offers them external training one and a half days per week. Original design, local production, social and personal. Van Hulley is doing good work, but has one eye on the future: it intends to locate to other Dutch towns and cities and even has Berlin and Hamburg in its sights, where there is potential to produce unique and sustainable boxer shorts and, more importantly, offer opportunities to many working women.

Waste2Wear

A SMALL STEP FROM PLASTIC BOTTLE TO UNIFORM

Waste2Wear produces uniforms and (corporate) clothing from yarns made from old PET bottles. This method of working enables parent company Vi-sion Textiles to counteract the growing volume of plastic we find in our rivers and oceans, where a fifth of all plastic ends up. Together with Ocean Recovery Alliance, a scheme was set up to encou-rage local fishermen to collect bottles. By creating a closed loop, Waste2Wear works closely with a number of lar-ge clients. One good example is the production of 300,000 bathrobes for a German spa, which after a while are returned to Waste2Wear where they can be reprocessed for re-use. In this way, the re-use of innovative products goes hand-in-hand with the recycling of waste. Or, as their business philosop-hy states: waste is only waste if we do nothing with it..

http://www.vanhulley.nl/en/welkom

http://waste2wear.wix.com/waste2wear-nl2



G-Star Raw

JEANS WASHED UP ON THE BEACH

A not insignificant part of the plastic floating in the oceans ends up on our beaches. G-Star Raw has launched Raw for the Oceans, a fashion collection which is comprised of 33% to 61% of this plastic. The Dutch fashion label is collaborating on the project with mu-sician Pharrell Williams. His company, Bionic Yarn, has the in-house expertise to convert fibres from waste plastic into yarns which are suitable for producing jeans, for example. Another of the part-ners is Parley for the Ocean, a conserva-tion group which collects plastic waste from beaches in Indonesia, China and Australia with the help of local waste companies. To further enhance the project, G-Star Raw is looking at ways of effectively recycling ocean plastic which is not suitable for use in clothing.

http://rawfortheoceans.g-star.com/



LENA The Fashion Library

BORROWING IS THE NEW FORM OF BUYING

Old and seldom-worn clothing should be recycled, at least according to LENA The Fashion Library in Amsterdam. For a fixed monthly amount or using a set of vouchers, the fashion library gives women to access to a large collection of designer clothes from various sustainable brands. Not only does this allow them to regularly change their wardrobe, the system has its social merits too. The production of new clothing contributes helps deplete our natural resources and only adds to the mountain of waste, not to mention the poor working conditions often encountered in the industry. The founders hope that consumers will adopt more sensitive purchasing patterns and borrow clothes as ifit were the most normal thing in the world.

Dutch aWEARness

WORKWEAR AND CONSCIOUS RECYCLING

Due to the specially designed polyester, clothing by Dutch aWEARness can be recycled up to as many as eight times. The company owned by fashion designer Rien Otto is the first circular textile chain to produce 100% recyclable workwear. Dutch aWEARness uses the so-called track-and-trace system to keep tabs on the entire raw materials chain and so guarantee the origin of materials. Neither does this approach stop with the production process: partners must also commit themselves to circular principles. In fact, the system is now so refined that it can be applied to other parts of the textile industry. On all fronts, it’s a shining example of circular enterprise. But their ambition goes beyond even this. Through collaboration with larger market players, Dutch aWEARness’ ultimate aim is to make the global textile market more sustainable.

http://www.lena-library.com/english/

http://dutchawearness.com/


CREDITS

This is a publication of Nederland Circulair! in partnership with The Netherlands Circular Hotspot. NederlandCirculair! encourages people and organisations to take steps towards a circular economy. The goal is to help companies set up new business models in order to produce, consume, finance and organise differently.We do this by offering a network and knowledge platform, and by providing various practical activities to help firms that little step further. For a summary of our activities and support, see www.circulairondernemen.nl. NederlandCirculair! is supported by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment and implemented by MVO Nederland, Circle Economy, De Groene Zaak, ClickNL Design, Het Groene Brein, Sustainable Finance Lab and RVO.nl. ‘The Netherlands Circular Hotspot’ is a campaign positioning the Netherlands as a circular hotspot during the country’s chairmanship of the European Union in early 2016. A broad-based vision of ‘The Netherlands Circular Hotspot’, developed by Prince Carlos de Bourbon de Parme (INSID) along with a large number of decision-makers and visionary thinkers, will be presented at the Innovation Expo on 14 April 2016. In addition to developing a vision, the ‘The Netherlands Circular Hotspot’ campaign comprises a sharing of iconic projects, the Circular Hotspot Expo – which opens its doors in April 2016 – and a visiting trade mission on 13, 14 and 15 April 2016. For more information go to www.netherlandscircularhotspot.nl.

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