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Newsletter now also on website

With the view to better informing clients, public authorities, professionals and interested industries on its new products, uses and activities, EKOL publishes three times a year a Newsletter, mailed by post and free of charge.
From now on it’s also available in pdf. on our website, at this stage however only in Dutch or French. Should you nevertheless like to get a printed copy on a regular basis at your professional or private address, please send us an e-mail, mentioning your full name and address, occupation and name of your company or authority, as well as the preferred language. We will be happy to put you on our distribution list.

Nieuwsbrief EKOLogisch in PDF
•   Workshop for garden professionals

On Wednesday 26 September last EKOL opened its show garden in Houthalen to some 25 garden and landscape professionals from various parts of Flanders. The aim was to discuss the use of recycled materials and products in gardens, pools and ponds. Because of their unique characteristics EKOL’s recycled plastics are particularly fit to be used in open spaces such as parks, squares and gardens as well in humid environments.
The day started with a welcome coffee and address by general manager Bart Van Gorp. The workshop was introduced by Mark Dubrulle, environmental management and sustainability consultant.
Two customers of EKOL products presented illustrated testimonials of practical applications on the field. Piet Rietveld, from Reynders garden architects in Zolder, showed how recycled plastic products are being used in garden creation. Guido Lurquin, marketing manager at Distripond’s, strongly advocated the use of EKOL material in pools, ponds and other aquatic projects. The workshop, closing with a round table discussion on the use of long-lasting, renewable products from recycled plastics, was followed by a visit of EKOL’s show garden and facilities. A much appreciated lunch was offered to all participants in the superb Hostellerie De Barrier.
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Crowds visit EKOL on Enterprise Discovery Day

Almost 2000 people, motivated by environmental protection, visited the EKOL facilities and show garden on during the national discovery day of industrial enterprises on Sunday 7 October. All together an estimated 4000 paid a visit to one or several environmental industries in Houthalen, province of Limburg (B).
Eight companies had joined efforts to give the citizens of their region a fair picture of their various activities in environmental management and services: Molok, Bionerga, Veolia, ES, Stok & C°, Eurocompost, Remo and EKOL.
Visitors were able to discover all aspects of waste managemen: collection, storage, transport, sorting, composting, incineration and recycling. EKOL’s quite unique recycling technology fascinated all visitors of the plant.
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Documenta 2007

 

View on the Friedrichsplatz in Kassel (D), with the eye-catching EKOL benches in front of the Fridericianum Museum. Architect Tim Hupe from Hamburg ordered them quite unexpectedly on 8 June. They were immediately manufactured. On 15 June the 30 bright red benches were neatly on their spots, just in time for the press presentation and pre-opening of the exhibition Documenta 2007.
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ISO 14001 Certification
Late December 2006 the Vinçotte chartered certification organisation awarded us the ISO 14001 certificate.
Environment-friendliness is a constant concern of our management. We do not have any emissions or discharges. Rain is treated and used as process water in a closed circuit. Consequently, the company was also recognised as a “zero discharger”, after a thorough audit of the water circuit system by a water expert.
In spite of the fact that domestic waste is our raw material, there is no litter around the plant and no smell nuisance. There is no noise either.
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Successful BATIBOUW 2007

 
Many thousands of the 370,000-plus Batibouw visitors paid a visit to the EKOL stand at the Heysel from February 22 to March 4. Their comments indicated that most of them did not have an inkling of what can be manufactured with mixed household waste. Private-person demand for flower boxes, benches, tables, posts and composting boxes was high. Although the price is still the biggest concern of consumers, durability and environment-friendliness increasingly determine their purchases. Design is also an important factor.
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Excellent results for2006
In 2006 EKOL’s turnover reached a new high: € 4.8 million with 33 workers. More than 7,500 tonnes of domestic plastic waste was recycled in 2006, the highest tonnage since the company’s foundation.
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BART VAN GORP FEBEM director

Managing director Bart Van Gorp was appointed member of the Board of Directors of FEBEM / FEGE at FEBEM’s annual general meeting. The Belgian Federation of Environmental Management Companies, has 251 members from the waste management industry and 15 from the soil decontamination industry.
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EKOL in the financial-economic press

TRENDS dedicated its Focus section of its March 1 edition to an interview with Bart Van Gorp, meaningfully entitled “Alternatief van Kyoto” (A Kyoto Alternative).
The daily DE TIJD of March 15, 2007 also published an article concerning our operations, entitled “”EKOL smelt plastic om in duurzame producten” (EKOL melts plastic into long lasting products).
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