Where others see waste, PreZero prefers to see raw materials. Achieving Zero Waste and creating a fully circular future with closed-loop systems. Innovation is at the heart of this mission, as emphasized by Barbara Huizink, Director of Innovation. This is why PreZero is dedicated to driving progress both within our company and across the entire industry.
Last year, PreZero contributed as an expertise partner to the National Hackathon Circular Economy. This year, they’ve taken it a step further as a case holder, setting their sights on making events completely waste-free. ‘It's good to make people, including young people, aware of the choice you have when you purchase something,’ she says.
PreZero is working towards a circular economy without waste. By encouraging re-use, but especially by preventing waste. And by making new raw materials from the waste it collects. ‘PreZero cannot do this alone,’ says Barbara. ‘Cooperation is crucial to close the chain. That's why PreZero works with partners on innovative solutions to really get everything out of raw materials. For example, together with partners we are already making a chair from sterile packing material from hospitals and we are reusing skylights with Velux.’
‘I believe that together, by coming up with smart solutions and taking nothing for granted, we can make the world a little nicer, more sustainable and easier.’
Working together towards circularity
The importance of cooperation is also one of the reasons for PreZero to join Circular Economy Week as a partner. Barbara Huizink: ‘As a company, PreZero is at the centre of the circular economy. We collect waste, sort it and make sure it becomes raw materials for new materials and products again. We really like the fact that this week there is national attention for all the important initiatives that are already there. That companies are opening their doors and that a lot of knowledge is being shared. We will only achieve a circular economy if we work together.’
More beautiful, sustainable and easier
In order to move towards a circular economy, the Director of Innovation also says it is badly needed to do things differently than is currently done. ‘I believe that together, by coming up with smart solutions and not taking anything for granted, we can make the world a little nicer, more sustainable and easier. This can be done, for instance, by seeing if we can make products smarter and extend their lifespan. But also by constantly closing new cycles. For us, innovation is fundamentally about doing new things that contribute to our mission: thinking further for a sustainable tomorrow.’
Innovation as an opportunity
Barbara Huizink sees innovation not only as an idealistic goal, but also as an opportunity. ‘That lies for PreZero first and foremost in the field of ‘from waste to raw materials’. But it's not just about processing waste, it's also about preventing waste. We advise companies and are happy to think along with them about producing with fewer or better reusable raw materials and extending the lifespan of products. It's about directing the chain and making sure you have an important role in closing that chain.’
Actively looking
Huizink sees innovative ideas arise everywhere: ‘On the shop floor, in the administration, at management and board level. PreZero is setting up a network for those ideas with innovative boosters and within the network pick up the innovative ideas. These are then tested to determine whether they contribute to the business strategy, whether they are financially and technically feasible and whether they have sustainable value.’ PreZero also wants to organise the external network more tightly. ‘We have several collaborations at different levels, but such collaboration often takes a lot of time and money, so we want to centralise that. That way, all partners, both PreZero and, say, a university, can get the right value out of the collaboration. We know everything about waste. We know what goes on at our sites and in our facilities. We know the processes and offer scale. We need partners, such as universities or knowledge institutes, with pioneering ideas. We already have those collaborations, but now we are going to be even more active with this.’
2026 case holder
In the 2026 edition of the National Hackathon Circular Economy, PreZero will proudly serve as the case holder. The challenge at the heart of this year’s event: how can we create completely waste-free events? During the Hackathon, students from diverse fields and backgrounds across the country will collaborate to tackle this central question. Last year’s event brought together over 400 participants, and this year promises to be even more exciting. Eager to learn more about the upcoming Hackathon? Visit our NHCE 2026 page for all the details!