Press release: Lankhorst and W&H Sports join forces in joint venture GreenMatter
4th of June 2020 – Lankhorst Engineered Products – producer of innovative recycled plastic and artificial grass products and W&H Sports – supplier of high-quality sports, furnishing and performance materials – joined forces at the end of 2018 to launch the GreenMatter label. Where in principle this cooperation took place from two different companies, on Friday May 8th Lankhorst and W&H Sports started GreenMatter as a separate entity. With this joint venture they respond to the increasing demand for recycled products and combine their knowledge, skills and investments in innovation.
As a result of this cooperation there are now more opportunities to scale up and to focus on recycled synthetic turf products outside the sport, in addition to circular solutions for the sport. This could include solutions for civil engineering. It is a milestone in the existence of both companies to be able to make a difference in the circular economy in this way.
GreenMatter
With GreenMatter, clients are supported in a practical and transparent way in a 100% circular solution for processing worn artificial turf mats. The products are manufactured from recycled artificial grass fibres and are UV resistant. The expected lifespan is at least 50 years and after the end of the lifespan the products can be fully recycled. The carefully composed delivery programme of striking and edging boards, picnic kits, park benches, flower boxes, embankments and terrace and decking boards offers sufficient possibilities to return every kilogram of artificial grass fibres in a recycled manner on or around the sports facility. A lot of products for indoor and outdoor sports will be added to this list in the near future.
Certificates
In addition to a REACH statement and raw materials declaration, a ZZS (Substances of Very High Concern) study was also carried out. This to guarantee that GreenMatter products are safe for people and nature. Due to the unique production and purification method this result can be guaranteed for all products. To offer even more certainty the production of GreenMatter products complies with ISO 9001: Quality certificate, ISO 14001: Environment certificate and ISO45001: Safety certificate.
Sjouke Tjalsma, Lankhorst Engineered Products: “Lankhorst has been working with recycled plastic since the late 1970s. We have now recycled thousands of tons of plastic and turned it into products that can be used for many years to come. Together with W&H Sports, we now take GreenMatter one step further by offering real circular solutions for processing worn out artificial grass pitches and returning them to clients in the form of sustainable products. Lankhorst has been working successfully with W&H Sports for many years, their way of doing business suits Lankhorst well. We share the same core values."
William van Diemen, W&H Sports: “We have been working with Lankhorst in a pleasant way for 10 years. It started with the production and sale of plastic percussion boards, indoor hockey beams and locking tapes and from 2018 with the start of GreenMatter. This joint venture really feels like a milestone in our entrepreneurial existence. We share the same mission and vision in the field of circularity and with GreenMatter we have demonstrably made a difference in offering circular solutions. We look forward to jointly take a pioneering role in this area and to give substance to circular issues."
Note for the editors: For more information or to receive high res images please contact GreenMatter, William van Diemen via telephone number +31(0)252 683300 or e-mail info@greenmatter.nl.
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Ondertekening deelakkoord Circulaire Sportomgeving
Op 23 januari 2020 organiseerden het ministerie van VWS, NOC*NSF, VSG, gemeente Amsterdam, KNHS en Jumping Amsterdam in samenwerking met KC Sport een Sportief Verbinden-evenement in de RAI in Amsterdam. GreenMatter is hier, als innovator en leverancier van gerecyclede producten, uitgenodigd om een handtekening te zetten onder het deelakkoord Circulaire Sportomgeving! Leuk detail is dat alle deelakkoorden worden ondertekend op een GreenMatter tafel, geheel vervaardigd uit de kunstgrasvezels van oude, versleten kunstgrasvelden.
Met Sportief Verbinden beoogt het NOC*NSF dat voorzitters en directeuren van sportbonden, wethouders en gedeputeerden, beleidsverantwoordelijken van gemeenten, provincie en maatschappelijke partners en het bedrijfsleven elkaar ontmoeten, kennis uitwisselen, verbindingen leggen en sport beleven.
Het evenement is opgedeeld in verschillende deelsessies waarvan 'Routekaart verduurzaming sport' er één van is. Tijdens dit programma wordt de Routekaart verduurzaming sport en 3 deelakkoorden getekend. Daarin staat hoe de sportsector de ambities uit het klimaatakkoord in de praktijk wil gaan brengen. Deze is in overleg met gemeenten, sportbonden, commerciële sportaanbieders, leveranciers, innovators en uitvoerders tot stand gekomen.
Onder andere Anneke van Zanen-Nieberg, voorzitter NOC*NSF, Lucas Bolsius, voorzitter VSG en Karin van Bijsterveld, voorzitter platform ondernemende sportaanbieders zetten deze dag hun handtekening en spreken daarmee uit dat zij zich in gaan zetten om klimaatdoelstellingen te behalen.
Het programma staat onder leiding van Humberto Tan en er zijn bijdragen van verschillende vooraanstaande boegbeelden. Ook GreenMatter is - als innovator en leverancier van gerecyclede producten - uitgenodigd om een handtekening te zetten onder het deelakkoord. De uitnodiging is een groot compliment naar alle betrokkenen binnen het GreenMatter initiatief (lees: Lankhorst Recycling Products en W&H Sports) en geeft ons nog meer energie om de kunstgras afvalberg te verkleinen door het vervaardigen van circulaire producten.
Ondertekenaars van het deelakkoord zijn:
Marcel Bouwmeester (gemeente Utrecht/sportengemeenten)
Erik Gerritsen (directeur Koninklijke Nederlandse Hockey Bond)
Michael Vogel (Group Director Ten Cate)
Martin Oldeweghuis (Topteam Sport)
Harry Vedder (Senior Adviseur M3V)
Jos Klerx (Sectorspecialist Horeca & Recreatie Rabobank)
William van Diemen en Stefan Hofman (GreenMatter)
Bron: NOC*NSF