Design Buy Build Issue 57 2022 | Page 66

LANDSCAPING & EXTERNAL WORKS
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The green space is vital for the activity and elements such as water or cork provide children with a dynamic environment , which gives the space characteristics that they see , sound and feel as interesting . Corkeen responds to this need , combining safety and sustainability , satisfying the most demanding requirements of any project . It is also an inclusive system , providing full accessibility , even in a wheelchair or using other mobility equipment .
A WASTE-FREE FUTURE : EMBRACING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
To protect the future , we need to rethink the way we approach waste . The Corkeen vision is committed to developing a circular future , turning what once was seen as waste into new creative opportunities . Reusing and recycling as much as possible , extending the life of products and regenerating our natural ecosystems are all part of the solution . When the take-make-dispose model is no longer viable , the need for a paradigm shift arises .
To produce Corkeen , PlaySmart guarantee full utilization of harvested material , ensuring that , just as in nature nothing is lost and everything is transformed . Even the smallest cork granules are used as a valuable energy source . Over 60 % of their energy needs are met through the use of biomass ( cork dust ), thereby minimising greenhouse gases and reducing their carbon footprint .
In this way , the end becomes the beginning , and the wheel keeps turning .
CORKEEN HAS A NEGATIVE CARBON BALANCE
The carbon balance of the Corkeen system is -102kg CO2 eq / m2 . This means that the Corkeen system promotes carbon sequestration in the cork oak forest that exceeds the CO2 emissions from its production .
The Environmental Footprint study conducted by EY , according to a Life Cycle assessment , which also considers the carbon sequestration of the cork oak forest , was based on the cradle-to-gate approach , that contemplates the environmental impacts of all activities , from the extraction of raw material , through the production of all components to the factory gate . It also included the transportation stages and on-site installation of the system .
The analysis considered the fact that the Corkeen system is installed in situ , as a two-layer system ( the bottom layer at the base , for impact absorption , complemented by a wearproof top layer ).
For more information please visit our website www . playsmartuk . co . uk or contact us on info @ playsmartuk . co . uk or 01564 742 811
PLAYSMART ’ S COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY GOES A LONG WAY
Using a 100 % natural and renewable material is only the beginning . In PlaySmart ’ s operations , they use biomass as an energy source , and value the byproducts resulting from the production of cork stoppers . They give a new life to cork stoppers at the end of their life cycle , by making cork granules that reenter the production process , and are used in new products . In fact , at the end of the Corkeen system ’ s life cycle , all materials are reusable , giving life to new products .
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