The Netherlands – On its two-hectare site in Eemshaven, Bek & Verburg has made room for two circular initiatives. In its distinctive Beatrixhaven warehouse, Bek & Verburg houses the companies Impact Recycling and Uppact.
Impact Recycling is investigating techniques for converting plastic fishing nets from all over the Netherlands into the high-grade raw materials polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) in Eemshaven, in collaboration with Bek & Verburg and Groningen Seaports. Uppact employs cutting-edge technology to convert non-recyclable plastic and textile waste into a new material and durable, recyclable products.
Impact Recycling
Impact Recycling’s pilot machine arrived in Eemshaven recently from the United Kingdom. This machine has been installed in the Bek & Verburg warehouse in the meantime. Plastic fishing net material is recycled into raw materials for items such as plastic furniture, baby bottles, lunch boxes and drinking cups, toys, car parts, and jerry cans using the innovative BOSS technique. In the near future, this process will be tested in Eemshaven. Impact Recycling is also looking to form new relationships with other parties in the circular economy. Unsuitable waste for Impact Recycling, as well as two residual streams, will be sent to other sustainable partners, for example, to make flower bulb crates or circular furniture.
Uppact
In the Bek & Verburg warehouse, Uppact is also constructing a test and demonstration facility. Their Australian pilot machine (UnWastor) arrived in Eemshaven recently, and it will be used to test various streams of waste plastic and textile in the coming months.
Uppact obtains regional waste by collaborating with the Waddenvereniging, the Jutfabriek Terschelling, NHL Stenden, and Bek & Verburg, among others. It also collaborates with the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG) and other hospitals to repurpose residual hospital flows. The ultimate goal is to circularize all non-recyclable plastic and textile waste in the Netherlands on a regional scale. The first two large processing plants are scheduled to open in 2023, with the first being located in Eemshaven and having a capacity of 15,000 tonnes per year.
