The WYE kitchen board is made of Neolign. Neolign is a fully dyed wood-based material developed by WYE, upcycled from wood waste, which is kept in a closed material cycle - following the example of natural cycles and the idea of "Cradle to Cradle". Neolign is pressed into panels and then processed like wood into furniture and accessories in the WYE circular joinery.
During production in the joinery, planes, offcuts and Neolignchips are returned directly to the cycle and reprocessed. If products are damaged (e.g. during transportation), they are shredded and pressed into new boards. If a customer wants to refurnish a WYE product after years of use, they can send it back. WYE will buy the product from the customer in exchange for a credit note for a new product. The old product is shredded and pressed back into panels. Soap dishes are returned after 2-3 years, furniture after 7-10 years.
This system is modeled on nature - just as a leaf on a tree falls to the ground in autumn, where it becomes soil and provides the same tree with nutrients again. It is not about reducing waste, because there is no waste in nature - everything is nutrient for something new. The course for a sustainable product is already set in the Designprocess - through the selection of materials and the possibility for the company to take back and reprocess its material at any time.
This idea is called "Cradle to Cradle" and differs from other sustainability approaches because it is not associated with renunciation, reduction, eco-lifestyle or a higher morality. Instead, the natural systems of our planet - what we call nature - serve as a model for product design. This system can be applied to all industries, is an uncomplicated solution to many climate issues and is in the nature of all living things.
The basic idea is that all things that are used are regarded as biological or technical nutrients that circulate in cycles. However, this is not about "zero waste", because nature knows no waste, everything is nutrient.
Assess and optimize the life cycle of products and processes so that it resembles a natural system in which there is no waste.
We are part of the planet and therefore part of its cycles - we should accept our role in it as humans.
Where do WYE cutting boards make a difference to other products?
The WYE CUTTING BOARD - Our cutting boards are made of Neolign. Neolign is a wood-based material that is created from the upcycling of wood chips, the leftovers from sawmills. It also contains polymers and color pigments that can be shaped at any time under heat. First there is a granulate consisting of this mixture - from this we press boards that our joinery processes into cutting boards. Neolign is what we call a nutrient, because no matter what state it is in, it can be processed again and again and is therefore based on the model of natural cycles. All by-products that arise during production, such as wood shavings, offcuts or remnants, are regranulated and pressed back into boards. This also applies to your old products, which you return to us and receive a 40% credit towards a new product. We have had Neolign certified for contact with food for this great cycle.
NORMAL WOOD CUTTING BOARDS - Sure, wood is a great material - we love it! However, people often forget that the only sustainable component of a wooden cutting board is the renewable raw material. Once the service life of the board is exceeded (which is usually the case after a few years), the board must be disposed of as class A III waste wood (contaminated) in bulky waste due to the glue joints and numerous impregnations. There it is only destined for thermal recycling, i.e. it is incinerated and only enters our cycle as energy. Wood is also not usually tested for contact with food. One reason for this is that it would not pass the test due to the secretion of essential oils into the contact object. However, as wood is one of our basic materials and has been used for thousands of years, we have enough experience to conclude that it is generally not harmful to humans.
PLASTIC CUTTING BRIDGE - Plastic is also a great material - but here the devil is in the detail. Plastics that have the property of being able to be deformed at any time under heat are called thermoplastics. They can be melted down again at any time and reprocessed - a fantastic cycle! However, most plastic cutting boards are enriched with numerous additives that make them impossible to reuse. What's more, there is no manufacturer who takes back their products and reprocesses them. Even worse are chopping boards that are produced outside the EU due to low price specifications, where there is no guarantee of a minimum level of material health. Cheap products from abroad have only one goal - to be sold in large quantities. The health of people in production and consumers is usually not taken into account.
