Rekup

Building material 'harvested' for reuse

For Rekup, a building to be renovated or demolished is not a pile of waste but a treasure trove of precious materials. Since 2021, the Rumst-based demolition company has been committed to the high-quality reuse of materials and raw materials released from buildings to be demolished.

Recovering high-quality material
As a project manager at a demolition company, Michaël Paridaens saw with sorrow how often nothing is done with all the usable materials released during demolition work. And that while new construction often suffers from raw material shortages and high prices. To do something about that mismatch, he started Rekup in 2021. His company dismantles buildings in and around urban environments and recovers all the high-quality material from their own projects.

Bespoke
In the beginning, Rekup still relied on the materials it received through the demolition company of one of its associates. Now they also bring in demolition projects under their own direction. For this, they hire subcontractors and call on tailor-made companies such as the Antwerp-based Manus vzw. To reuse the materials, Rekup works with external parties who use the materials in their projects, such as architects, housing corporations and non-profit organizations, as well as private individuals.