Vanderlande Closes the Loop at Eindhoven Airport

Veghel, 20 February 2017 – Working in conjunction with Eindhoven Airport, its suppliers, and remanufacturing and recycling companies, Vanderlande wants to reuse parts of the existing baggage handling system at the airport to close the loop on its material cycle instead of parts being discarded.

Vanderlande has embarked on the expansion of the baggage handling system at Eindhoven Airport, working under the ethos of the Closing the Loop project. This is being carried out as part of the construction of an expansion of the baggage hall, which will significantly increase the capacity of the current system when it is completed by the end of the first quarter of 2017.

Andrew Manship, Vanderlande’s Executive Vice President Airports explains: “This initiative is part of a joint innovation and sustainability roadmap that is compatible with Vanderlande and Eindhoven Airport’s goals for environmental responsibility. The overall aim is to prevent the deterioration of the value chain by closing the loop on the existing life of the baggage handling equipment at Eindhoven Airport.

Eindhoven Airport’s Manager Corporate Responsibility Gaby Mols says: “Eindhoven Airport is taking a next step towards a circular economy with the Closing the Loop project. The project will explore a circular business model and creates awareness of the necessity for a transition from a linear to a circular economy.”

In the past, corporations have followed linear industrial processes, in which products are manufactured, used and then disposed of as waste. However, the growing scarcity and depletion of natural resources make this unsustainable.

Materials are also becoming increasingly costly and the percentage that can be recovered by conventional recycling is not enough to fill the gap. The most logical solution is to move from a linear to a circular economy – and this is the motivation for the Closing the Loop project.

Company profile of Vanderlande

Vanderlande is the global market leader for value-added logistic process automation at airports, and in the parcel market. The company is also a leading supplier of process automation solutions for warehouses in the e-commerce, food retail and fashion sectors.

As such, 12 of Europe’s top 20 e-commerce businesses and many distribution firms already have confidence in Vanderlande’s efficient and reliable solutions. The company’s baggage handling systems move 3.2 billion pieces of luggage around the world per year, in other words 8.8 million per day. Its systems are active in 600 airports including 14 of the world’s top 20. More than 20 million parcels (300 packages per second) are sorted by its systems every day, which have been installed for the world’s leading parcel companies.

The company focuses on the optimisation of its customers’ business processes and competitive positions. Through close cooperation, it strives for the improvement of their operational activities and the expansion of their logistical achievements. Vanderlande’s extensive portfolio of integrated solutions – innovative systems, intelligent software and life-cycle services – results in the realisation of fast, reliable and efficient automation technology.

Established in 1949, Vanderlande has more than 4,500 employees, all committed to moving its customers’ businesses forward at diverse locations on every continent. With a consistently increasing turnover of more than one billion euros, it has established a global reputation over the past six decades as a highly reliable partner for value-added logistic process automation.

For more information about the company, its products and technology, as well as career opportunities, please visit www.vanderlande.com.