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Trespa Second Life

At Trespa we are committed to extending the life of our panels by giving them a second life. By joining forces with like-minded partners, we are driving the move towards a circular economy. 

Our initiative

In a world where resources are precious, and sustainability is no longer optional but a necessity, we introduce Trespa Second Life our commitment to breathing a second life into our panels. This initiative is central to our mission to not just produce high-quality panels but to ensure they live on, contributing to a more sustainable and circular economy.

Trespa Second Life is about repurposing and extending the lifecycle of our products. Every piece of Trespa material is designed with longevity in mind, but we recognize that their journey doesn’t have to end with their first use. We are taking proactive steps to give our products a second life.

Thanks to the raw materials we use and our innovative technology Trespa® panels are exceptionally durable and store carbon dioxide (CO2) during their lifetime. Through repurposing them for a second use, we further extend the period in which the CO2 is stored inside the panels. Explore Trespa’s carbon narrative at www.trespa.com/sustainability to learn more. 

Driving the move towards a circular economy

We believe in a circular economy and focus on reusing rather than recycling. By extending the life of our durable and strong panels through reuse, we not only conserve resources but also significantly reduce CO2 emissions.

A circular economy aims to keep products and materials in use for as long as possible, reducing waste to a minimum. It is a more sustainable approach than the traditional make-use-dispose cycle, trying to limit the use of new resources and waste. The European Union has defined the priorities regarding waste management, with the top priority to prevent waste from happening at all.

How Trespa Second Life works

  1. Eligibility check
    Panels necessarily need dismantling, be verified as Trespa panels, not been exposed to hazardous materials, mechanically attached, and dismantled without excessive damage. 
    Trespa assesses the environmental impact of transportation to ensure its outweighed by the environmental benefits of reuse.
    Trespa Second Life is active in the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Belgium with plans for expansion to other regions.
  2. Express interest 
    Interested parties should send an email to secondlife@trespa.com and provide information about the panels.
  3. Evaluation 
    Trespa will evaluate the request for take-back.
  4. Reused and collaboration
    If approved, the panels will be repurposed for various uses like (bike)sheds, storage, garden applications, signage, and waste separation bins in collaboration with partners. 

Frequently asked questions

Participation is free, but building owners or renovation contractors are expected to dismantle and store the panels according to Trespa's instructions.

Trespa Second Life is intended for used panels, but Trespa is interested in better understanding cut-offs regarding sizes and volumes.

To arrange take-back, panels should be dismantled without damage, placed on pallets according to Trespa's instructions, and stored in a dry, frost-free area until pick-up. Accessibility of the site by a 16,5M truck and availability of a forklift need to be considered.

Trespa will arrange pick-up in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Belgium. For other EU Schengen zones a case-by-case approach will be taken.

We have calculated the environmental impact of transportation, including CO2 emissions, following our Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. This ensures the environmental benefits of reuse exceed the environmental cost of transportation.

A certificate will be provided as proof of participation in Trespa Second Life to those who send back used panels or reuse them in second-life applications.

Trespa is exploring applications like (bike)sheds, storage spaces, garden applications (furniture, houses, dividers, etc.), signage, and waste separation bins.

At present, panels cannot be reused as a façade component due to regulatory constraints. Trespa is actively monitoring developments on this topic.

If Trespa cannot take back the panels, an alternative could be to reach out to circular dismantler organisations.