Did you know that your old fridge has a second life?
Our subsidiary Coolrec recycles 1.4 million discarded fridges every year, focusing on giving new life to plastic and metals. Coolrec creates different types of high-quality recycled plastic thanks to density, colour, and electrostatic sorting techniques that tailor it to the customers’ needs.
One of these is Coolstar, plastic granulates made of 100% recycled HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene Granule). Coolstar granulates are a sustainable alternative to virgin polymers and, after years of testing, their quality has become so good that we can use them for many applications. Like toys.
Yes, that’s right! That’s why Coolstar is the base component of ROCKEEES – a sustainable toy that gives a second life to discarded refrigerators’ plastic.
ROCKEEES, a project co-developed with the design agency Apollo 11 and the injection moulding company Injection Point, is an epitome of a circular innovation. And, for this reason, the prestigious Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2021 shortlisted it as one of the eleven finalists.
Cristel Rijnen, Owner of Injection Point, joined us today to tell you more about ROCKEEES and the successful collaboration with Coolrec.
Cristel Rijnen
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, Cristel. What started the partnership with Coolrec?
“We met through a shared contact in 2019 and saw that we shared the goal of promoting the use of recycled plastic. So we sat together to discuss how to use Coolrec’s granulates [Coolstars, ed.] for the projects on our portfolio. We did some tests for one of them, but the final product wasn’t market-ready. Despite this first result, we kept each other in the loop if future possibilities to cooperate resurfaced. Later, Coolrec contacted us after chatting with Apollo 11 about ROCKEEES. Test after test, the ball started rolling and ROCKEEES ended up being a very successful project.”
What type of collaboration do you have with Coorlec?
“The project is over and now ROCKEEES are for sale on rockeees.com or bol.com. Coolrec and Injection Point maintain a customer-supplier relationship. We contact them whenever we need new stocks of Coolstar.”
At which point was Coolrec’s expertise key in the success of ROCKEEES?
“Coolrec came to our first meeting with many years of testing behind with their plastic granulates. They had a vast knowledge of how their material would behave and the challenges we could face. It’s thanks to their laboratory and test centre if every batch they send us lives up to the same high-quality standard. This feature isn’t always common in the recycling market. Also, they helped us in overcoming specific challenges with the ROCKEEES’ geometry. Since it’s a game about balancing plastic stones on top of each other, every part must have an equal surface. As the stones are made by a ‘male’ and a ‘female’ part, neither of us knew how stiff the connection between these pieces was supposed to be without hindering the stones’ weight or surface. We solved this by putting a steel piece in the mould and kept optimising the plastic parts until they were stiff enough and the steel part could be removed.”
And what did you gain from this partnership?
“We gained more experience with regrinding materials. Besides, ROCKEEES is a great product for marketing. Since it’s a toy, it needs specifics certifications stating that it’s safe to use. It’s a great way to show the world that you can build excellent products from recycled plastic. Especially as the story of giving a second life to a fridge, it’s something many people can relate to.”
How do Injection Point and Coolrec’s future intertwine?
“We keep our eyes open for new ways to collaborate. Whenever I contact new clients, I always keep Coolrec’s granulates in mind. And so does Coolrec if one of their customers needs a circular injection moulding company. Our relationship with Coolrec is based on trust and sharing the same mission: making the world a better place by putting recycling at the centre of plastic's value chain.”
Share your innovative ideaAre you or your organisation interested in circularity and have an innovative solution? Do you wish to implement it at a commercial scale? At Renewi, we’d love to hear from you! Any solution is welcome, and we would love to start with those with the highest and direct impact. Can we help to scale your solution? |
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Coolrec is a Renewi Specialities subsidiary and a key European player in the circular economy when it comes to the processing of discarded electrical appliances and electronic products. Through its international network comprising different sites spread throughout the Netherlands, Belgium and France, Coolrec produces secondary raw materials, such as plastics and both ferrous and non-ferrous metals. This activity involves Coolrec working in close cooperation with innovative industrial manufacturers of consumer products. Coolrec also invests every year in the most recent and innovative technology to be among the most sustainable European recyclers of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). For more information, visit: www.coolrec.com