Supplier CDUK has unveiled Vita Nova, a creative take-back and repurposing solution aimed at minimising the waste generated by the surface materials industry in the UK and Ireland. Meaning ‘new life’, the solution enables CDUK to revive surface materials and extend their useful life in new applications.
In the UK and Ireland alone, upwards of 450 tonnes of solid surface materials find their way into landfill sites annually. This encompasses waste material, off-cuts, end-of-life installations, damaged or faulty sheets, samples, and extraction dust. With Vita Nova, CDUK aims to tackle this continuous waste by encouraging the community of design, fabrication, and supply partners to act sustainably and return unwanted end-of-life surface materials.
Through Vita Nova, CDUK can breathe new life into a kitchen worktop by transforming it into a wash trough, convert a cladding installation into a reception desk, or repurpose material from a residential application for a retail setting. Acting as a design partner throughout their specification journey, CDUK will then support designers in sourcing the finest products and materials to create sustainable and long-lasting designs, while offering expert advice, technical knowledge and training courses to learn how to unlock their full potential.
The solution is already operational at the Vita Nova workshop in Leeds, where CDUK has been sorting, reclaiming, and repurposing returned surface material waste to create new high-quality products, part sheets or aggregates for the creation of new materials, all contributing to a circular economy. CDUK is able to take back all surface materials from the portfolio, which includes Corian® Solid Surface, PaperStone®, Polygood® and Montelli® Surfaces.
With the reveal of Vita Nova, CDUK urges specifiers, designers, contractors, manufacturers, and fabricators to reduce environmental impact by optimising the reuse of material from one installation at end-of-life, into another application beginning a new life.
"Continuing on our journey to promote the next phase of sustainable solutions in the surface materials industry, Vita Nova allows us to divert waste materials from the landfill to our workshop and to give them a new life," says Andy Noble, Managing Director at CDUK.
"For example, we have taken back large quantities of Corian® Solid Surface, its properties make it an ideal surface material for repurposing, as it can easily be repaired, formed and reused for a new purpose.
"We strive to make it easier for our communities to repurpose surface materials, and we look forward to facilitating their own journey to sustainability acting as a trusted design partner. By working together, we will be able tackle waste in our industry while supporting our partners in achieving their sustainability goals.”
CDUK will be revealing Vita Nova during Surface Design Show. The leading surface material supplier invites designers to return their surplus CDUK samples (as good as new, damaged or discontinued colours) to the stand. In return, they will reward visitors with a surprise gift and tell them more about the new repurposing solution.
