Photo: Schiphol
Schiphol isn’t just one of the largest and busiest airports in Europe and the world, but also one of those constantly pushing for innovation with investments in new eco-friendly technologies for the future.
The most recent such idea concerns the grass cuttings collected from the airport, as Schiphol Amsterdam Airport has announced a partnership with ECOR to produce various construction materials. Grass clippings will be the raw materials used for ceilings, partition walls at construction sites, furniture, and flooring.
The airport says it has no less than one thousand hectares of grassland around its runways, with the grass regularly cut to ensure the birds stay away. According to an official announcement, which you can read below, the grass will be used to manufacture fire-resistant panels that can be used at the airport.
The parent company says they have the same level of quality as a typical panel made from MDF, with the grass-based products to be used by Dutch construction companies the airport has partnered with, while others will be sold to other parties.
This innovative approach means the CO2 stored in the grass wouldn’t be released into the air, and the processing phase does not include any chemicals.
“The goal is to supply more grass over time, because not all grass at Schiphol currently goes to ECOR. The production of sustainable products can then be stepped up. Our ambition is to process the grass at or near Schiphol, so that production can also take place close to the airport and emissions can be reduced even further. In the meanwhile - starting in autumn - the processing and production will be done at the ECOR factory in Venlo,” said Mirjam de Boer, Director of Asset Management at Royal Schiphol Group.
Schiphol plans to become a waste-free airport in 2023 and be fully circular in 2050.
The airport says it has no less than one thousand hectares of grassland around its runways, with the grass regularly cut to ensure the birds stay away. According to an official announcement, which you can read below, the grass will be used to manufacture fire-resistant panels that can be used at the airport.
The parent company says they have the same level of quality as a typical panel made from MDF, with the grass-based products to be used by Dutch construction companies the airport has partnered with, while others will be sold to other parties.
This innovative approach means the CO2 stored in the grass wouldn’t be released into the air, and the processing phase does not include any chemicals.
“The goal is to supply more grass over time, because not all grass at Schiphol currently goes to ECOR. The production of sustainable products can then be stepped up. Our ambition is to process the grass at or near Schiphol, so that production can also take place close to the airport and emissions can be reduced even further. In the meanwhile - starting in autumn - the processing and production will be done at the ECOR factory in Venlo,” said Mirjam de Boer, Director of Asset Management at Royal Schiphol Group.
Schiphol plans to become a waste-free airport in 2023 and be fully circular in 2050.
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