Working in conjunction with Eindhoven Airport, its suppliers, and remanufacturing and recycling companies, Vanderlande wants to reuse parts of the existing baggage handling system at the airport to close the loop on its material cycle instead of parts being discarded.
Vanderlande has embarked on the expansion of the baggage handling system at Eindhoven Airport, working under the ethos of the Closing the Loop project. This is being carried out as part of the construction of an expansion of the baggage hall, which will significantly increase the capacity of the current system when it is completed by the end of the first quarter of 2017.
Andrew Manship, Vanderlande’s Executive Vice President Airports explains: "This initiative is part of a joint innovation and sustainability roadmap that is compatible with Vanderlande and Eindhoven Airport’s goals for environmental responsibility. The overall aim is to prevent the deterioration of the value chain by closing the loop on the existing life of the baggage handling equipment at Eindhoven Airport.
Eindhoven Airport’s Manager Corporate Responsibility Gaby Mols says: "Eindhoven Airport is taking a next step towards a circular economy with the Closing the Loop project. The project will explore a circular business model and creates awareness of the necessity for a transition from a linear to a circular economy."
In the past, corporations have followed linear industrial processes, in which products are manufactured, used and then disposed of as waste. However, the growing scarcity and depletion of natural resources make this unsustainable.
Materials are also becoming increasingly costly and the percentage that can be recovered by conventional recycling is not enough to fill the gap. The most logical solution is to move from a linear to a circular economy – and this is the motivation for the Closing the Loop project.