Urban mining

Reuse, circular economy, and recycling—these are undoubtedly terms that sound familiar to you. In the context of sustainability, we must reduce the mountain of waste we create as humanity, and this applies not only to plastic, but also to other materials like glass, wood, and concrete. Urban Mining is a term emerging as a solution, and awareness of its necessity is steadily growing. If you want to contribute to a better planet by choosing System Flex, you might be wondering what Urban Mining means to us. We're happy to explain!

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What is urban mining?

Urban Mining literally means urban mining. In practice, it's an emerging concept focused on reusing valuable materials and raw materials from urban areas. Initially, this primarily involved the recycling of electronic waste. Today, buildings slated for demolition are dismantled in such a way that the materials and components can be reused as much as possible or used as raw materials for new products. Urban Mining is therefore a form of recycling urban waste and makes a significant contribution to a circular economy.

These are the benefits of urban mining

  • Reduction of waste and pollution
  • Energy saving
  • Durable
  • Saving space

Urban Mining reduces the need to extract new raw materials. This benefits the environment and reduces waste. Reusing raw materials requires significantly less energy than mining from new sources. This, in turn, has a positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

Urban mining helps to use urban areas more efficiently. By demolishing buildings and reusing space and materials, it reduces the need to develop new land.

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Customers speak out

Boatex Management

The short lines of communication within the company ensure a quick response and an efficient approach.

VVS Group

"Top service, quality and above all perfect communication."

Caransa Group

"The System Flex team is always there to help us think things through. Together, we take the burden off our customers!"

What does urban mining mean for system flex?

Naturally, we at System Flex also want to contribute to a more sustainable world. In the construction sector, to which System Flex belongs, various materials are already being reused. For example, glass walls and facades are ideal for reuse. Moreover, reusing concrete not only significantly saves resources but also costs. Did you know that 90% of all demolition waste in construction can be reused? By applying Urban Mining, we are taking a major step towards a circular economy.

recycled system walls from system flex

Is your business space ready for a fresh new look? With System Flex's partition and ceiling systems , we can furnish any space to your wishes and preferences. Give your office space, restaurant, or classroom a clean look and improve the acoustics.

System Flex develops and manufactures products made from sustainable materials, including raw materials derived from Urban Mining projects. In this way, we aim to contribute to a more sustainable and livable future. Will you join us?

Frequently Asked Questions

A system wall is a wall that can be dismantled and reassembled elsewhere. This wall is quick to assemble, has a uniform finish, is durable, has good sound insulation, is cradle-to-cradle (C2C) certified, and is lightweight. If a system wall is dismantled and no longer used, it can be recycled (99.9%) or repurposed elsewhere.

A solid system wall starts at €80.00 per m² and goes up to €130.00 per m². A glass wall starts at €180.00 per m² (the most popular type in the Netherlands) and goes up to €450.00 per m². Doors are an additional cost. The square meterage does not include the doors.

A glass wall starts at 26mm, then 30mm and otherwise 100mm.

Solid walls are usually 100mm thick. This has the advantage that technical installations can easily be incorporated into these walls.

Glass walls start at €180.00 per m².

A metal stud wall is a quick-to-build wall. It's lightweight, offers high sound insulation, and has demonstrable fire resistance. Single-walled walls have a 30-minute BRW rating and double-walled walls have a 60-minute BRW rating. We recommend metal stud walls if they don't need to be moved in the future. Examples include restrooms, room dividers in homes, hotels, hospitals, or fire-resistant partitions.

If adjustments are expected in the future, it is better to choose a closed system wall.

A metal stud wall consists of C- and U-profiles. The U-profiles are first installed on the floor and ceiling. The C-posts are then mounted into the U-profiles, usually spaced 600 mm apart. The plasterboard is then mounted to these C-posts, first on one side (sometimes double-clad). Then, mineral wool is applied between the C-posts. The other side is then clad. This cladboard is installed 600 mm apart from the other side. The wall is then plastered, usually to Class B (wallpaper or paint-ready). Class A is the highest finishing class. This class is only achievable with a double-clad wall (two plasterboards on either side of the wall, again 600 mm apart).

These start at around €50.00 per m², and depending on the height, impact resistance, fire safety requirements, or sound level, this can go up to €100.00 per m². Metal stud walls are often measured gross across the openings. These walls are immovable in the future and labor-intensive to recycle. However, these walls are also 99.9% recyclable.

Cradle to Cradle walls are walls that can be disassembled and reused. They can be used for other projects, but also for completely different purposes in a variety of sectors. This increases the value of the product, eliminates the use of new raw materials, and allows System Flex to collaborate innovatively with customers, organizations, and self-employed professionals to foster a circular economy. It's no wonder System Flex is Cradle to Cradle certified!

Cradle to Cradle ensures that products can be reused infinitely or broken down harmlessly.

Unfortunately, not yet. We currently offer white and black. New colors are coming, but they're still in testing.

In principle, any company that pays income or corporate tax in the Netherlands can benefit from the MIA/VAMIL scheme. An entrepreneur is eligible for the MIA/VAMIL scheme if the investment meets the following five conditions:

  • The asset is on the environmental list;
  • The asset has not been used previously;
  • The investment must relate to the acquisition and production costs of the asset;
  • For the MIA, the amount of environmental investments must be at least € 2,500 per asset;
  • It is not possible to obtain both an energy investment deduction and an environmental investment deduction at the same time for the same asset.