Bakers & Bananas creates innovative food products from bananas that would otherwise go to waste. Using surplus bananas from Ecuador and through the project ‘The Banana Factory’, Bakers & Bananas tackles the waste of millions of bananas in Dutch and Belgian ports. In the banana factory, millions of kilos of bananas are turned into new raw materials for food products, such as banana bread.
Oscar Circulair provides centralized collection of commercial waste in busy inner-city areas, close to the businesses themselves. Oscar ensures that valuable raw materials are recovered from the waste, resulting in less residual waste and reducing the need for large waste processors to frequently enter these areas.
Circotex uses an innovative and sustainable technology to dye textiles, one of the most polluting processes in the textile supply chain. This technology significantly reduces the use of chemicals, water, and energy, and can therefore make an important contribution to a more sustainable textile sector.
MX3D has developed a unique 3D printing technology. Using its software, MX3D can print metal on-site with a welding device and robots, requiring less material than traditional production methods such as casting or milling. This has the potential to make a significant impact in the industrial sector.
PeelPioneers are the sustainable peel farmers of the 21st century. They have developed a technology to process orange peels into valuable products, such as natural fragrances, colorants, and flavorings. PeelPioneers is set to transform the peel market in a fundamental way, as nothing is currently being done with this growing stream of orange waste. Their approach generates significant sustainable impact, including CO₂ reduction and more efficient use of raw materials.
InstockMarket is the sustainable foodservice wholesaler committed to reducing food waste. Through their online platform and the Food Rescue Center in Diemen, they ensure that surpluses and residual flows from farmers, growers, producers, and processors (which would otherwise be unnecessarily wasted) are given a valuable destination within hospitality, catering, and social initiatives.
Rural Spark has developed an “energy kit” consisting of a router, solar panels, and modular battery blocks. A variety of devices can be connected to this system—from lamps and televisions to refrigerators, and eventually also productive equipment for use in agriculture. Through local distribution partners, Rural Spark addresses the growing need for clean and affordable energy among end users in rural Africa.
The Good Roll produces sustainable toilet paper made from bamboo. The toilet rolls are packed in a colorful wrapper in a factory in Weesp, stickered and shipped. This is done by a diverse mix of people with a distance to the labor market. In doing so, they gain work experience and social contacts (again) and are part of society again.
Land Life, Green Challenge Winner in 2015, restores landscape by planting trees and sells the CO2 rights that these trees realize. The Cocoon from Land Life Company is a water reservoir for young planted trees, making irrigation unnecessary. This significantly increases the tree’s chance of survival in arid areas. This makes land restoration a lot easier. In addition, the product is biodegradable.