Since the second quarter of 2019, EMM has participated in the Circular Economy Challenge. This is a regional initiative from Rabobank designed to help entrepreneurs tackle this element in their startup. Within this challenge there are 25 companies from Zwolle and the region looking to join forces to create circular solutions like EMM
This challenge requires all entrepreneurs to think outside of the box, to look beyond the boundaries of their own company and to work together. This creates new ideas and business models, where the main focus is to ensure raw materials, components and products lose as little value as possible. The use of renewable energy sources and system thinking are also important aspects.
Circular entrepreneurship within the painting industry and EMM's ambitions
With the brands Colad, Hamach and Ronin, EMM is a global player in the painting process industry. Most of the products manufactured by EMM are specially designed for single use only. Over the last couple of years, several products have been introduced that are made from recycled materials. In 2017, various products were certified with the 'Duurzaam Repareren' mark of sustainable repair.
In 2020, EMM will take another step towards sustainability with ISO 14001 certification and implementation of the ideas generated by this year's circular challenge. EMM wishes to work towards the goal of a product portfolio that is as sustainable as possible by 2030.
More than 200 ideas have already been generated through internal workshops in circular entrepreneurship. Based on these ideas, EMM receives advice and a company consultation from a KPMG consultant. KPMG has teamed up with Rabobank to help make this project as effective as possible.
The most fundamental issue that arose from the challenge: how can we separate paint from plastic products? This question applies to the biggest product segment in EMM. At the moment, the specific focus here is on mixing cups. The goal is to create clean waste rather than today's chemical waste.
Together with a group of students on the Supply Chain Engineering program from the Industrial Engineering & Management and Logistics Engineering departments at the Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, work has begun on a decision-making model to plan and start up projects.
About the Rabobank Circular Economy Challenge
Renewal is necessary to keep the Dutch economy at a particularly high level. Innovation and efficiency play the biggest roles in this regard. We are seeing more and more companies focusing on the recovery and efficient use of raw materials and materials in the early stages of product design and operational management – and more and more companies are doing this together. The result is that production shifts from a linear system (take, make and waste) to a system of closed cycles. This is what we call a circular economy: an economy that uses raw materials more intelligently, reduces the environmental burden, lowers costs and creates more jobs.
About EMM International
EMM - Just add paint
EMM international is a creative centre for all innovative applications within the painting industry. At EMM, new ideas are developed that are essential for a sustainable, efficient and effective paint process. EMM is constantly adding to its product range with new innovations, such as the 900 ml and 700 ml UV Colad painting process Snap Lid System® www.snaplid.com, the Colad paint overall BodyGuard® www.paintsuits.com and the Hamach HCV central vacuum www.hamachcentralvacuum.com. From 2020 the most powerful UV curing lamp will be available.