BENDig: local waste streams for creative projects

BENDig collects and sells leftover materials from local industries

Raw material for creativity
Many companies are left with residual streams during their production process, such as unused materials or cutting and sawing waste. These often end up as trash, are exported, reprocessed into inferior materials, or in the best case recycled. And yet, a large portion of these materials are still perfectly usable in their original form.

The company BENDig from Kortrijk gives these residual streams a second life, together with a network of local companies that also value circularity highly. They collect the materials in a structured way and make them available to (semi-)professional creatives: designers, R&D teams, makers, repairers, organizations, and students. 

To keep the initiative financially viable, BENDig sells the materials at affordable prices. By charging a fee for the materials, they also hope that buyers will consciously process the materials into meaningful applications.

From cutting waste to sling, from sawing residue to furniture
To inspire creatives, BENDig also works with leftover materials themselves. The BENDig Inspiration Box, for example, is a multifunctional, modular piece of furniture made from narrow sawing residues. Cutting leftovers from outdoor upholstery fabrics were given a second life as new ‘slings’ for wooden deck chairs. 

What’s in a name
The name BENDig comes from the West Flemish word ‘bendig’, which means ‘thrifty’ and ‘economical’. At the same time, it refers to the English verb ‘to bend’. In short: BENDig's mission is to bend the linear economy into a circular one by using materials and resources more sparingly!