This year, for the first time, the Dutch Design Week has dedicated a big space to exhibitions on the circularity topic, however, there is neither a “Sustainability” nor a “Circularity” route suggested. Luckily, you can check the list below with the highlights.
Embassy of Circularity – Klokgebouw Hall 3
The Embassy of Circularity is one of the biggest exhibitions and concentrates on buildings using circular economy principles.
CIRCO, a movement towards circular economy made possible by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, is present at the Hall 3 from Klokgebouw and counts with several products designed following some concepts of circular economy. One example is a re-manufacturing company called REMADE in Holland which takes old motors and re-manufactures them, delivering a product that is as good or even better than a new one.
BAMB, Buildings As Material Banks, shows samples of materials and structures that can be used in a circular manner. Looking at buildings as a material bank and providing the possibility to reuse the construction materials of a building while keeping their high aggregated value represents a mindset shift. When the demolition of a building stops representing costs and losses and just mean to send the materials to be used elsewhere, almost no waste will arise from this sector which is in the list of priorities from the Dutch government for Circular Netherlands in 2050. [1]
Urban Terrazzo works with architectural debris to transform them in a valuable product again. With their innovative design based on materials available locally from demolished buildings, they create high-performance tiles.
Building circular with hemp shows walls that can be built using a mixture of lime and hemp, a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant used industrially for its fibres and other derived products that can be used to produce ropes, resistant fabrics, fiberboard and paper. This creates a bio-based wall, built with mineral and organic materials that are biodegradable and can be even used as fertilizer for crops at the end of its useful life.
Ecococon is another bio-based construction exhibited at the Hall 3. It is a house completely built with compressed hay and other bio-based materials. Some of the advantages of this type of construction are the high energy efficiency that not only keeps the breathability but also prevents the growth of mould.
Plastic Stone Tiles displays tiles made of single-use packaging plastic mimicking stone patterns.
Last but not least, is the Algae Lab Luna presenting the 3D printing of glasses, jars, vases and bowls using algae polymer as raw material.
Klokgebouw Hall 4
Fungi Force is out of the embassy of circularity but also incorporates sustainability principles to produce a bio wood coating composed of Linseed oil and a fungus species. The fungus and the linseed complement each other in the wood treatment, while the oil protects the wood against humidity and the weather, the fungus acts as a sunscreen and colouring.
Ketelhuisplein
Plastival is located in the container city and shows a recycling technique to transform waste plastic into new products.
Urban Farm Food has a stand with a mini-farm and a robot. It can be implemented in the city to produce high-quality food locally.
Design thinking and Climate is another interesting exhibition on how important the design can be to our impacts on the climate or to develop products that can help in solving current climate-related problems.
North Brabant Province is collecting ideas from all DDW visitors to become a 100% circular economy. The best ideas can win a refactored iPhone, a Spotify subscription or a circular dinner.
Pro Rail is also collecting ideas on how to become more circular. Participants can give ideas on how to use railway waste materials such as old wood plates, rails, bolts in a circular way. The best ideas will also receive a money prize.
DDW Business Longe
Next circle presents a visual exhibition of the book ‘Circular economy as a lifestyle’
VDMA
Precious plastic is a project already happening for some years in the Eindhoven area. During this DDW they have an exhibition and open doors to everyone that would like to know the project.
Parallel exhibition at Veem 5th floor
DuurzameKost is an aquaponics, urban farming system located at Veem in Strijp – S. The project is already happening for some years in Eindhoven and delivers fresh, organically grown vegetables to some restaurants and a shop in the city.
to Eindhoven News by Diana Bizarro
[1] https://www.circulaireeconomienederland.nl/default.aspx
