In collaboration with customers and partners Van Gansewinkel Groep develops new concept and ‘tools’, helping to give more wase a second life as raw material. Or, better still, avoid waste altogether.
Philips
Philips and Van Gansewinkel Groep work together
on the development of Cradle to Cradle products.
The knowledge of both companies are interconnected, so closed circles are created.
The knowledge of Van Gansewinkel Groep in the area of materials, waste streams and recycling is essential. Last year, among others, we have looked at the intelligent design of new products and the use of recycled plastic in production. In 2011,
this is being continued
Van Gansewinkel Office Paper
Van Gansewinkel Office Paper is the result of collaboration between Van Gansewinkel, Océ and the German paper producer Steinbeis. Van Gansewinkel (Destra Data) collects office waste paper from its customers and then shreds it,
after the separation process, into raw materials that are finally delivered in bales to Steinbeis. After a sustainable production process, Van Gansewinkel and partner Océ deliver 100% recycled paper back to their customers, where it is collected again after use. This is how Van Gansewinkel closes the ‘circle’.
Brabantia
In cooperation with Brabantia and Cranendonck local council, we began a project that gives us the opportunity to put our Waste no more motto into practice for the public. The project’s objective is to demonstrate that through optimal waste separation, no waste need remain, or at least no more than a fraction of 5%.
Thirty families participated in the first pilot scheme which began ne and Brabantia placed its collection resources at their disposal. Van Gansewinkel took care of the logistics and the analysis of the separated ‘raw materials’. The Cranendonck local council has actively participated by ramping up organic waste, paper and plastic collection and introducing lower pricing.
Furthermore, though additional cooperation, with Brabantia and to the aim to ultimately create closed raw material cycles, we are also investigating the full recycling capability for Brabantia's waste bins.
Office furniture
Steelcase, the office furniture producer is looking to use Cradle to Cradle principles in the reuse and recycling of office furniture as well as in its manufacturing process. Too often, office furniture is disposed of as worthless rubbish. In cooperation with partners Steelcase investigates whether this could be changed. Van Gansewinkel Groep brings in its knowledge and resources to set up the logistics and recycling.
From concrete to concrete
Kijlstra Riolering and Van Gansewinkel are working together on improved solutions with Cradle to Cradle as the guiding principle. In the new concept, the old sewer pipes and concrete waste are being collected by Van Gansewinkel from the production site and processed further into crushed miniscule granules. These concrete fractions are fully used as raw materials in the production of sewage pipes, pavement tiles, sinks and other concrete products. This way, the raw materials circle is closed.
FORZ
Subsidiary A&G has developed a method to create secondary building materials, cements and sand from selected waste materials. These products, called FORZ,
are complete replacements for current primary building materials such as gravel, sand, soil and foundation materials. The cement is tested by the Cradle to Cradle scientific institute EPEA and qualifies under the Cradle to Cradle principle. In October last year, a 900 m2 FORZ floor was laid in a pilot scheme at Tata Steel in IJmuiden.
If the test is successful, more floors at Tata Steel will be made from this building material. In the first project, Van Gansewinkel waste is used; sand sorted and sieved along with bottom ash from AVR’s energy plants. If the pilot succeeds, the next project will use Tata Steel’s own waste. Potentially, the next step may be that Tata waste is used in FORZ alongside other organisations in the IJmuiden area.
More information about our Cradle to Cradle partners and projects can be found here
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