“With this project, we are showing that the circular economy is not a concept for tomorrow, but can be successfully implemented today,” explains Jakob Klingenberg, Key Account Manager Project Management at Kaldewei. “As a pioneer in the industry, we are sending out a clear message: durable products can remain valuable even at the end of their useful life – and can actually be reused as refurbished products.” Klingenberg was responsible for the close coordination between Kaldewei and the 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin and all other project participants.
Kaldewei bathtubs and Superplan showers have been used in the bathrooms of the 25hours Hotel in Berlin for over ten years. As part of a renovation, existing shower surfaces and baths were dismantled, returned to Kaldewei and completely refurbished using a specially developed upcycling process. The products with their new enamel surface are provided with the anti-slip surface “Kaldewei Secure Plus”. This special enamel increases stability under the shower and now provides additional safety for guests and the hotel owner.
The successful implementation of this project shows the possibilities that modern industrial processes coupled with a high degree of individualisation offer for the circular economy. After being dismantled and returned to Kaldewei, the shower surfaces and bathtubs were comprehensively treated in a multi-stage process: Sandblasting and enamelling with the Secure Plus surface were among the key measures. The refurbished bathroom objects were then delivered again and reinstalled in the hotel by a specialist company. “We show how upcycling works in the project business and bring cradle to cradle to life,” Jakob Klingenberg continues. The remanufacturing of the shower surfaces and bathtubs by Kaldewei produced around 65 per cent less CO2 than the manufacture of new bathroom products.
No other manufacturer in the bathroom sector has ever implemented a comparable initiative on this scale. With this pilot project, Kaldewei is proving that high-quality and durable products do not have to be disposed of at the end of their first life cycle, but can even be reused in an optimised way. For the 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin, the shower surfaces were raised to a new level of safety thanks to their Secure Plus enamelling. Kaldewei is thus emphasising the transformative power of upcycling and opening up completely new perspectives for the construction industry. With this pilot project, Kaldewei has shown how it can be done. Courage, trust and skill have made this pioneering achievement possible, with which Kaldewei has ushered in a new era of resource optimisation in the contract business. Now the premium manufacturer would like to pave the way for all other customers and partners to utilise recycled bathroom products.
KALDEWEI offers luxurious bathroom solutions of superior quality and timelessly elegant design. Bathtubs, shower surfaces and washbasins are made from sustainable steel enamel.
