“But what about all those disposables then?”, we hear you ask. Well, it’s true that we only reuse our inox cutlery. But have you ever thought about the sustainability level of having to clean reusable cups and plates for +2000 Members and visitors on a daily basis? Exactly. That’s why – next to offering every new Member their very own Dopper® – we prefer biodegradable, ecofriendly items. Unlike glass, porcelain or plastic they do not only completely dissolve, but during their production process produce significantly less CO₂ than their plastic and paper counterparts too.

And no, our cups aren’t made of plastic! The European Union played a funny trick by placing the “Made of plastic” line on these products, but they’re actually biodegradable PLA, which is made from sugar, corn and beets. After usage, just toss them into the regular waste bin (not PMD!) and they will decompose within 90 days, following the EN-13432 norm. The same goes for our disposable sugar cane plates, which you can even throw in the paper bin granted that they’re clean enough.

Your cup of gold is ecofriendly too! Next to the close eye that our partners of Nespresso keep on the production process of their products, we make sure that all cups are separately collected to ensure a clean recycling process. Same thing goes for the Tork towels you dry your hands with after a toilet break, which are recycled into new towels after you dispose of them in their very own bin.

Comfort is key! But boy, does it require a lot of energy. To make sure we keep you warm during winter, cool during summer and cognitively fresh throughout the day, thousands of cubic meters of fresh air are pumped into the four MeetDistrict locations on a daily basis. This is a must, since proper HVAC – which stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning – has an immense impact on your general health. No wonder though how HVAC is our biggest energy guzzler.

That’s why we are adamant on doing everything we can to avoid excessive energy consumption. Not only because it’s expensive, but also to keep our ecological footprint as small as possible. We obviously want to take up our environmental responsibility, and we need to play an active part in the European Green Deal too, which aims to make the EU climate neutral by 2050. At MeetDistrict, we up that game and strive to become climate neutral by 2030.

For starters, the electricity we use is exclusively green and non-nuclear. And while we do still use natural gas at most of our locations, MeetDistrict Diegem is a beautiful example of a location that is almost solely run on 100% renewable electricity. Another progressive feat for this location is that this electricity is produced through an underground magnetic field, which is a more sustainable way to generate energy than having to rely on airflows from outside.

For our other locations, preliminary studies have been set up to eventually make the transition to heat pumps instead of natural gas too. Granted – MeetDistrict does not own those buildings, but we do what we can to promote this transition to all parties involved. And as we all feel the same environmental pressure, it’s definitely a hot topic!

In the meantime, we keep the environmental impact of our natural gas powered locations as small as we can by making most optimal use of the HVAC systems in place. Firstly, by making use of condensation boilers, or – specifically for MeetDistrict Gent – of the arena’s ring main. The latter is another example of how sharing your building with a supermarket creates a host of benefits, since the heat that Albert Heijn generates for its cooling facilities is recycled onto this ring main for the other stadium tenants to make use of.

Secondly, we stand by the age old saying that knowledge is power! As we carefully write down the impact of our main energy consumers thanks to the combination of both the smart MeetDistrict infrastructure and the building regulating building management systems, we are able to implement the optimal usage of the HVAC regulators. Quite the job, since every MeetDistrict location, comes with its own characteristics and consumption levels. But the systematisation we resort to – and are continually optimising as well – gives us an idea on exactly the time and amount of energy needed to heat up or cool down a space, clearing the way for a complete automatisation of heating, cooling and ventilation facilities in the future.

The dream obviously is to make MeetDistrict 100% sustainable and renewable. As we strive towards that goal, we make sure not to lose sight of the smaller quick wins in the meantime that collectively have a massive impact as well: maintenance, observation, and optimisation.