How it all started ...
For many years, Rudolf Luytens was in charge of the semi-workshop at Ons Tehuis Brabant (OTB) in Kampenhout. Driven by his quest to find meaningful daytime activities for people with disabilities, he launched a special project a few years ago: making used blue sterilisation cloths from hospitals recyclable.
These cloths contain stickers that must first be removed. Once that is done, they form a valuable raw material for recycling companies. What began as a small initiative quickly grew into a success.
By mid-2024, the workshop was literally bursting at the seams. The partnership with Veolia generated such large volumes that a 70 m² marquee was even temporarily erected to store all the cloths. As winter approached, the scale of the operation proved too great to continue within OTB's premises.
To avoid having to discontinue the activity – which OTB's clients enjoyed so much – the search for a new location began. It was found on Nekkerspoelstraat in Mechelen: a building with 600 m² of work and storage space.
That is where De Loods De Nekker vzw was born: a place where humanity, recycling and collaboration come together.
Growing with heart and hands
What once began with 5 tons of recycled materials per year in OTB's semi-workshop has now grown to more than 100 tonnes.
In addition to the well-known blue sterilisation cloths, we now also process Roche trays, PVC and other high-quality plastics such as PP, PS and PET.
Through simple yet careful processes – such as removing stickers – we prepare these materials for recycling once again.
Collaborations
Our work is underpinned by strong collaborations with partners such as Roche Diagnostics, Vinyl Plus, Select4Care, Veolia, Raff Plastics, Gebroeders De Spriet, A.M.L. Laboratory… More than 20 hospitals also play their part, including UZ Brussels, UZ Leuven, UCL Woluwe, AZ Sint-Maarten Mechelen, AZ Jan Portaels Vilvoorde, ZOL Limburg, Chirec Brussels, AZ Aalst, AZ Geraardsbergen, Imelda Bonheiden, CHC Liège & Citadel Liège.
Through De Loods De Nekker, we provide a circular hub where people with disabilities can take part in recycling projects.
In this way, we fill a unique niche: providing meaningful work for people with disabilities, without competing with sheltered workshops for whom these activities are not economically viable.
Today, we can offer a workplace to around 25 participants at any one time.
We work closely with care organisations such as Ons Tehuis Brabant (Kampenhout), Borgerstein (Sint-Katelijne-Waver), Willekom (Mechelen), Nido (Brussels), VillaVIP (Mechelen), Rozemarijn (Haacht & Keerbergen), Villa Praline (Bonheiden), the Support Centre for People with Autism (Mechelen) and De Klink (Diegem). Special needs schools are also welcome, such as Sint-Janshof (Mechelen) and De Beemden (Mechelen).
In addition, we continue to supply work to OTB's semi-workshop in Kampenhout and to Amai, a social enterprise run by the City of Mechelen that provides employment for people who find it difficult to secure work in the mainstream labour market.
At De Loods De Nekker, we comply with all licences and regulations, ensuring that our operations are not only sustainable but also future-proof.