A circular office furnisher that ensures that raw materials never go to waste again. Turning a cost stream into a revenue stream - that's our goal!
One (Marc van der Heijden) worked in logistics, the other (Martijn Vinke) was a psychologist. They met each other about six years ago. There was immediately "a nice click" between both gentlemen, who find the human principle interesting and who see more in rewards than in punishments, to name but a few. And in everything they (want to) do, they build on harmony between man and nature. After six months, they decided to establish Triboo. A circular office furnisher that ensures that raw materials never go to waste again. Turning a cost into a revenue stream - that's our goal. Every year we destroy 73 million euros worth of raw materials."
Marc van der Heijden (left) and partner Martijn Vinke show a panel with waste streams at their office in Zevenhuizen.
After only three years, the company booked a turnover of over 1 million euros. In the meantime, TRIBOO has overtaken the established order and works closely with family business Dekker Zevenhuizen. For PostNL, the company turned 1700 kg old postal packages into 80 new workplaces and for cleaning company CSU old hoovers into new tables.
"We are doing things that did not seem possible a few years ago. This has given us an enormous position and lead over competing companies," explain both managing directors. They would like to (also) gain a foothold in the furniture industry, where a lot of products are still being made that are labelled as waste at the end of their useful life. "We want to change things, but we cannot do it alone", they call on interested parties to come forward.
The office of Triboo etc. is located at Dekker Zevenhuizen.
The office and production facilities of Triboo are located at the industrial area of Dekker Zevenhuizen. Not surprisingly, because this company, specialized in the processing of high quality materials into custom-made countertops for kitchens and bathrooms, also has sustainability high on its agenda. At Dekker, several products carry the FSC label, partly because the board material Greengridz (a furniture construction panel) is used, which emits 60% less CO2 than solid furniture panels during the production process. Also, because of the grid structure, less material is needed.
About three years ago, the two found each other. Triboo was commissioned to make a 3D printed flower box with a diameter of 1.20 metres from discarded refrigerators. "That was not easy. The robot even broke down. But in the end, the largest plant pot in the world was printed.
A bath and many other products followed not long after. They now develop workplaces together. "A Greengridz work surface weighs just 7 kilos. The person who has to set them up is happy with them, because he can now carry three sheets at a time."
A healthy and circular workplace with the lowest CO2 was launched by TRIBOO at the beginning of 2020.
EverUse is another company owned by Marc van der Heijden and Martijn Vinke. This company produces an innovative circular insulation material from waste paper that excels in sound absorption in addition to thermal insulation. The company contributes to a waste-free society and a circular economy with exclusively high-quality products. That is why, after twenty years of development, it has now been marketing a circular insulation mat for more than two years. "With EverUse, we are taking the lead in bringing valuable materials back into our buildings."
In Sneek stands the factory, opened in January 2018 by King Willem Alexander. It is designed so that each mat can be completely reused. Because the products are of high quality and retain their shape, they can be reused in a different construction. However, if they are no longer used, the products must be returned, because EverUse retains ownership of the raw material and, in 15 minutes, transforms the EverUse mat into an EverUse mat once again. This way, the company can really take responsibility and nothing is ever thrown away again.
Both the EverUse and Triboo products are made in the Netherlands. "That reduces the CO2 footprint because less transport is needed. As far as we are concerned, local production is an essential part of the circular economy."
Because 60% less material needs to be used to make a 20mm Greengridz furniture panel, for example, 60% less raw material is extracted from Mother Earth.
Meanwhile, the men are also active in Scandinavia under the name Triboo Nordic. The same brands and circular products that have already achieved sensational success in the Netherlands are also being marketed there. The NeverEnding Kichten, the world's first circular kitchen, is one of them.
"We are constantly looking at waste streams to see how we can put them to good use.
With revolutionary innovations and upcycling techniques, 'worthless' waste streams of plastic and natural fibres are turned into 'valuable' circular office furnishings, for example. "As a circular supply chain, we take responsibility for the raw materials and circular products. This transforms cost streams into value streams and the return logistics are also in order. The core activities consist of furnishing offices, supplying circular products and developing customer-specific products made from waste. In addition, we provide all services related to good maintenance, furniture management and logistics."
Greengridz desktops weigh 7 kilos. That's a difference of 18 kilos of material per desktop that doesn't need to be used again.
In the past six months, the home office market has grown significantly for Triboo. "Because of corona it is a very busy market. You used to set up a location with 100 desks, in this corona era it is 100 locations with 1 desk. Thanks to our knowledge of furnishing healthy and circular workplaces, we have an edge on the competition. Products that the buyer can simply return and receive the raw material value back into his bank account."
Using no electricity means generating no CO2. With this in mind, the No Electric Workplace was developed.
"We have recently extended our range of circular workplaces for the office and home with the 100% NL; height adjustable sit- and stand-up workplaces completely made in the Netherlands. For a few extra pennies, as an employer, you can make your employees happy.
Besides 100%NL, Triboo also makes the No Electric, a height-adjustable sitting and standing workstation, but without electricity. "The mechanism contains a pre-tensioned spring in combination with a counterweight. By pressing a simple handle, the desktop moves in a balanced way to the right working height in a fraction of a second. In this way, comfort and ultimate ease of use are combined without the use of electricity."
A workplace made in Holland, frame, lightweight desktop and healthy acoustic desk screen.
Interested in joining a group of like-minded people as a furniture manufacturer or other company? Then contact Triboo without any obligations. "We want to be the change, but we can't do it alone. The waste must stop, we must only use reusable materials," Marc van der Heijden and Martijn Vinke conclude in unison.
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