PETER GOMMERS

Eurocarbon, DenimX, EMMA cooperation | Peter Gommers

One intrinsic motivation, shared by three organisations and brought together in a unique collaboration. By developing a new project, they're focusing attention on sustainability. As leaders in this initiative, they hope to encourage other entrepreneurs, not only nationally but also internationally, to separate waste and reuse raw materials. Peter Gommers, Product Developer at Eurocarbon, shares his view on sustainable entrepreneurship.

Eurocarbon is a textile company, specialised in weaving and braiding, where raw materials and yarns are processed into semi-finished and finished products. "At the moment, we're working with yarns made from recycled materials, things like denim or plastic bottles. We use the yarn to make new products", says Peter. But that's only a small part of the business. Eurocarbon also works in the composite industry. From orthopaedics and cars parts to skis and hockey sticks. Everything that needs to be light and strong contains carbon. And their collaboration with EMMA has brought Eurocarbon a new product: shoelaces.

Many textile companies left the Netherlands in 2008, moving production to low-wage countries, and only companies that specialised in a particular process remained. Eurocarbon was one of them. Because of this major change, Peter was tasked with generating new business. "During that time, there were quite a few companies in Limburg that were interested in recycling and developing new products. In taking the initiative to bring everyone together and brainstorm about possibilities, we took the first step, and Upcycle Heroes Limburg was born", says Peter.

Standing still is not an option in this partnership. Together, they're constantly working towards new developments, because according to Peter, laces are more important than you might think. "You don't want to have to tie your shoelace ten times a day. And you don't want laces that break easily. That's where not only our quality, but also our customer service really set us apart. These laces also passed the safety standards test with flying colours. We're thrilled with the results.

Peter hopes the project will also create more awareness among other entrepreneurs around sustainability. "Entrepreneurs should look into how much waste they produce as a company. You can still do something with a lot of those materials. A great example is Paperwise. They make paper using agricultural waste that would normally be burned." Incineration is an easy option for some. But everything that disappears into the incinerator eventually ends up in the air. That's pollution that's completely unnecessary, says Peter.

What the world will look like in 20 years? Better than it does today, that's Peter's hope. A world where more thought is given to sustainability and circularity. Instead of just talking about it, actually doing something. "We have to see what can be achieved locally. Divide the manufacturing industry by continent. Ikea has already started doing that. They're looking for production locations per continent. That saves a lot of CO2", says Peter. Awareness is the beginning of a sustainable world.