How Beelen works on the circular future at High Tech Campus Eindhoven
High Tech Campus Eindhoven wants to be the most sustainable Campus in Europe by 2025, and circularity is an important part of that ambition. Beelen is one of seven facility management partners who have signed the unique collaboration covenant to support this ambition. With this covenant we strive towards the highest possible standards for sustainability and efficiency.
Beelen stands for closing the material loops. Together with our partners we have been working on high-quality re-use of the materials that we encounter in our projects for over 25 years. Sustainability and innovation have been key since our establishment, and we are proud to have High Tech Campus as our partner.
Logistics on Campus
The High Tech Campus houses over 200 companies, in over 50 buildings. Every day over 12.000 people with 100 different nationalities work at the campus. At the campus we collect no less than 15 waste streams, each with their own collection means. This means quite a logistic operation.
By using special electric vehicles, operated by a fixed group of colleagues, we collect all waste streams from the different buildings CO2 neutral. Containers are only being emptied if filled for at least 80%. We currently work on putting sensors in all containers, so we can predict when - and be notified if the containers are full. This way we can plan our routes even more efficient.
Use of the waste and residues
Core of the Beelen service is in finding high-quality re-use for the waste and residues that we encounter at High Tech Campus Eindhoven. A total amount of 1 million kilo of waste and residues is being collected at HTCE. Separating the waste streams at the source is important, and something we work with on a daily bases, together with the Campus. The most important waste streams we process are:
For the last years we worked hard to separate waste streams at the source, and we did successfully. Waste that isn’t separated we call residual waste. In total this was 596.000 kilo or 57% of the total amount collected. This residual waste is being used as fuel for energy and heat. This way we reduce the usage of fossil fuels like oil, coal or gas.
The coming years we will continue to increase the amount of waste that is separated at the source, so that more waste can be used as a new primary raw material.
Every year Beelen collects over 180.000 kilo of paper and cardboard at the HTCE. After collection, the material is cleaned, sorted and turned into big bundles. These bundles are being transported to a paper factory where it serves as a new raw material for the production of new paper and cardboard. Soon al hygienic paper at the Campus will be made from paper collected at the Campus!
Soon Beelen will place one of the latest innovation at the campus: Our very own composting machine! Together with Eurest we will use this machine to turn GFT, swill and coffee grounds from the restaurants and buildings into compost. This compost can then be used at the Campus to fertilise plants and grass. This way we prevent the transport of over 60.000 kilo of waste, and thereby cutting CO2 and nuisance.
For the wood collected we have – depending on the quality – different ways for reuse. Among other things waste wood is turned into pallets.
Beelen has two modern recycling plants for mixed building and demolition waste. With these installations we separate the mixed waste into clean streams, suited as raw material. These raw materials – for instance concrete granulate, wood or metals – are then delivered to producers.
A total amount of 143.000 kilo of material that is collected at the campus, is being sorted and together with our partners turned into new raw materials for production of new products.
Ambitions and the future
Circularity requires more than cleaning up after ourselves. It requires tangible projects, with a strong vision for the future. For this the collaboration between Beelen, the other facility management partners and High Tech Campus Eindhoven is essential.
Due to our digital way of working all involved parties have real-time insight in the waste streams produced at the Campus. These rapports are an important tool for working on- and measuring the circular ambitions of High Tech Campus and Beelen.
By 2030 High Tech Campus Eindhoven wants to reduce the usage of primary raw materials (minerals, fossil fuel and metals) by 50%. Some examples on how we will realise this:
To accelerate these type of innovations and ambitions Beelen Group introduced Beelen NEXT. Beelen NEXT is the place where all innovations within Beelen Group come together. NEXT stands for the building blocks of a green future. A future of new business models where circularity is the norm and social return a standard.
We are happy to announce that High Tech Campus Eindhoven will be one of our testing grounds, on which we will introduce several new innovations. More updates will follow soon!
