milieu-impact
Go for a circular world
Our vision is a circular world, where we re-use what we we already have, where we import less and export less, and where we search for local solutions for local questions. With everything we do we consider the impact it has on the environment.
What happens to our plastic wast from our households?
%
unknown
(371 milj. KG)
%
is burned
(990 milj. KG)
%
ends up in nature
(41 milj. KG)
%
is re-used
(248 milj. KG)
Every year we produce 1650 million kilos of household plastic waste in the Netherlands, of which 990 million kilos are burned, which is 60% of the total. Per person you produce 30 kg of household plastic waste per year, of which 18 kg is burned. We think this is a shame! We do not see waste in this plastic, but a valuable raw material.
(source CE Delft 2019)
we export every year
million kilo plastic waste
we import every year
million kilo hardwood
Why keep exporting plastic waste and importing hardwood?
Every year we export 362 million kilos of plastic waste and import 189.5 million kilos of hardwood, while things could very well be done differently! Did you know that recycled plastic is a fully-fledged alternative to hardwood and that you save hundreds of kilos of CO2 emissions?
Moreover, part of the export waste ends up in countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia, where we have no insight into the processing. Often this waste is still burned under poor conditions and in the worst case it becomes part of the globally growing plastic soup – a major threat to humans and animals on our planet.
Want to know more about this? Watch the short documentary “Where does our plastic waste end up”.
milieu impact of a scaffold
To build an average scaffold, you save 3,448 kilos of CO2 by using recycled plastic from Save plastics instead of hardwood.
This is equivalent to 6 round trips to Paris by plane or 85 trees that have to grow for a year as compensation.
if you build an average scaffolding from recycled plastic instead of hardwood, you save 3,448 kg of CO2.
That equals:
...times return to paris
...trees that have to grow for a year to compensate
environmental cost indicator
- save plastics € 98
- hardwood € 264
- new plastic € 1.196
global warming potential (in kg CO2)
- save plastics 1.249 kg
- hardwood 4.697 kg
- new plastic 8.895 kg
measures sustainability
The life cycle assessment (LCA) is a comprehensive technique for mapping the environmental impact of a product. In the Netherlands, the environmental cost indicator (LCA) is often used for this purpose.
The environmental cost indicator weighs different environmental impacts against each other and translates this into a single figure that reflects the social costs for these impacts (in euros). The lower the LCA value, the lower the environmental impact. You can download the LCA values of save plastics below.
Save Plastics has had the environmental cost indicator value for all its products calculated by NIBE and it turns out that we are the greenest boy in the class!
How about microplastics?
The main causer of microplastics in the Netherlands are cosmetics and the use of a washing machine (for clothing), paint and tires (tyre grinding) (Source CE Delft, 2019). We are aware of this problem and have taken measures to reduce the issue of microplastics.
Since March 2023, Save plastics has been part of a national microplastics study led by TNO in collaboration with the Municipality of Amsterdam, the province of Flevoland and Staatsbosbeheer. With the aim of mapping:
- The microplastics emissions of thermoplastic composites into the environment
- The emission of ZZS (substances of very high concern) in microplastics
- The ratio of microplastics from car tires and washing machines versus thermoplastic composites
The interim results show that the PE/PP plastic from household plastic packaging causes the least damage and is therefore the most environmentally friendly. The only thing added to our products is a UV stabilizer. With the color black this is soot, with brown this is iron oxide. This UV stabilizer ensures that our products do not change color and therefore do not break down due to UV radiation.
circular approach
Our products last at least 50 years and can be recycled up to 9 times. Should our product no longer be used, we will take it back and together we will find what new life it can get.
Nods to the past but always looking forward
RE-save
We offer our customers a re-save service after using the products, whereby the project waste will be reprocessed into new products for the outdoor area and housing. In this way, this raw material is saved from combustion again and again. And ensures less CO2 emissions and less dependence on the import of hardwood.
real life examples
national beach cleanup
We support the National Beach Cleanup. A wonderful initiative by Stichting de Noordzee to rid beaches of waste. Together with hundreds of Dutch people, we clean up the beach, make new products from the plastic waste and sell them to the neighboring municipalities. These include scaffolding and decking, sheet piling or trendy benches and picnic sets. All made from 100% recycled plastic!
floriade 2022
We give household waste plastic a second life. From the household plastic waste we collected in the Amsterdam region, we made products for the Floriade 2022, such as sheeting, a bridge and a plastic house.
saving with litter
Children from the district of Malburgen (Arnhem) collected plastic for a new bridge. In their own neighbourhood, the children went looking for household waste plastic. The waste plastic that they collected was processed by Save Plastics into planks with which a new bridge was built in their neighborhood. In this example, litter was used as a raw material for products that the municipality already needed.
also start a project?
Have you been inspired by these projects and do you also have a creative idea where you would like to collaborate with us? We’d love to brainstorm with you.
reach out!
Inspired? Do you share our values? Can we help you find a solution for your challenge? Let us know, we find a local sustainable solution for everything.
reach out!
Inspired? Do you share our values? Can we help you find a solution for your challenge? Let us know, we find a local sustainable solution for everything.
Inquire about our FSC or PEFC-certified products.