| COMPANY NAME Ramen Dexters INTERVIEWEE NAME Wendy Van Edom SECTOR Construction COUNTRY Belgium | PROJECT SCOPE Exploring a circular aluminium plug & play frame for windows | CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODEL Circular supply chain Product life extension |
Company and project background
Can you give us a brief overview of your business and the specific project you implemented?
We are a window producer from Belgium. With our products, we work on bigger projects where time is money. And windows are a crucial part of these projects. They have to be in place, and then the workers can start doing interior work. So, the windows are in the building that is not finished yet, and they are getting dirty, damaged, etc. We wanted to design something which you can put there with a filling, then can be done the work inside, and afterwards we can come with real windows.
With our „plug and play aluminium frames“ project, we started in a programme for boosting the construction industry. We got in contact with Vlaio, and they said it might be something to present for the Up2Circ programme. So, we did, and we got selected.
What motivated you to make your business more circular?
We noticed that we are always under pressure to get the windows in place, and we are always stuck with going back for damaged windows which were used incorrectly. So, we said, that if we can follow the flow of the construction without having to put the real windows there, it’s a win for everybody.
Afterwards, if the window needs to be changed or if it gets a new destination, it’s easy. You can take it out, replace it or even reuse it somewhere else. So, we go from recycling the material to reusing the material, that was the idea.
Implementation process
What were the main objectives of your feasibility study?
We defined the tests we need. Right now, they are partly done and partly stopped. The reason is that when we planned to start tests in Buildwise, they asked us which tests we really needed to do. To be sure that we don’t test the same things twice and spend money twice. We got back with the team and think about what is really necessary. Which certification do we really need, and stuff like that. That’s where we are now.
What activities did you carry out during your project?
We’ve redefined the test and planned them. We are also in contact with our aluminium provider, and we want to show him the concept we already have. He will check it if he can improve it–maybe by using better aluminium profiles, as we want everything to work without glue or silicone.
What feedback did you receive from stakeholders (customers, suppliers etc.)?
We don’t have their feedback yet. But we’ve already known about customers who are interested in pilots of this project. But we need to have the results of the testing first.
Impact & Outcomes
What were the main results and outcomes of the project for your company?
The aim of our project is to make work in the construction business faster, thanks to plug and play. We also want to make our windows eligible to be used elsewhere. And reuse the material.
These days, we are talking about a new possible partnership that will help us achieve these goals. And with our aluminium provider, we are talking about the possibility of expanding our project worldwide.
But first, we need to have the tests and certifications.
Did you detect a positive impact of circular transition for your company and for the environment?
Not yet, but people and construction companies who know that we are working on this are really interested in it. That’s a good sign. Also, architects, contractors and such, they all seem to be willing to do something with it. It seems that there is a positive flow in the industry–they want to change the way. Or at least they are open to innovations, which is not common in the construction industry
Have you already implemented any changes?
No, we need to have tests and certifications first.
Lessons learned
What key lessons did you learn regarding circular innovation?
I came from automotive, where everything goes fast. Here in the construction business, everything takes time. If you want to have tests done, it’s about one or two years. And for me, it seems like it’s a step behind. I would like to see it go quicker. But you can’t change it. You can change stuff, but the mentality remains. And it would take a long time to change it.
Did you encounter any challenges?
The main challenge is getting this certified. Because nobody will go into this innovation without knowing that it has the right documentation, the right tests. That’s the main issue, actually. But we are working on it.
If you could do your project again, what would you do differently?
We were a bit too enthusiastic. And we thought that we would be able to do more in the time that we had. But as I said, everything takes so much time. And also, this is not our main job. We don’t have an innovation team here. This is something that we do beside our normal day tasks. So, we were a bit too ambitious, I would say.
But on the other hand, you need to be ambitious, otherwise, nothing is coming out of it. But if you need to put it on paper, and it’s neither white nor black, then it’s difficult. Because often there are no columns for grey. They need it black or white.
Future plans & recommendations
What are your next steps towards circular transition?
There is a possibility of an interesting partnership concerning circular glass. We are working on circular window frames, so a combination with circular glass would be perfect.
We plan a meeting where we would like to talk about possibilities and partnership. During the call, there was even mentioned a possibility of making the glass during its circular lifecycle better or less better–for example, if we have a triple glass and we need to bring the window to Spain, we can make it only double glass. So, we will talk about it.
We also have some small ideas on how to improve our frames. Maybe to make them smaller, so we could use less material. And we also think about the way we make the connection to make it easier to dismantle the window.
Is there any advice you would give to other SMEs looking to adopt a circular business model?
I think one thing that we may have underestimated is all the documentation that we need to get. We have a good idea, it works, but then we need the testing done. We need the right documentation. And there are many things connected with it that we have to think about. So, I advise them to think about it in time.
You also need to get in contact with the right companies, ask the right questions and get the answers. But you also need to be asked the right questions because even these questions could help you.
How can policymakers or financial institutions better support businesses in adopting circular practices?
We were struggling with regulation problems. We wanted to have our product as a product as a service. Therefore, there is also the possibility to pay a lump sum every month, year, and you don’t need to have the windows paid fully. That was the idea. But we find out that this idea doesn’t have any regulation. Also, it’s legally not possible because the window is loose, but if you put it in a construction, it gets fixed, and then it becomes part of the building. And then this product as a service thing doesn’t work. With lamps it works, with windows it doesn’t work.
That’s also difficult to get financed, because it has a product as a service ID, and there is no legal framework to get financed for something like that. So, architects, contractors, the people who own hotels and hospitals and things like that, they are open for these things, but there is no legal framework in which they can go with those IDs. Everybody wants to be more green. Everybody wants to have it more modular and circular, but legally, it’s not following.
Do you have any additional comments or reflections about your participation in the Up2Circ project?
No, like I said, this is our first participation in Up2Circ, so this was really new for us. And we put a lot of work into it at first to have the programme granted to you. But then afterwards, we get the information, it’s not enough. And it’s frustrating. As I mentioned, when you need to put it on the paper, it has to be black or white. But what if it’s grey? Innovation has grey zones, it’s not really black or white. It would be nice if they were also open for some grey in programmes like these.