100%-Recycled Piping Systems for Arnhem’s Green City Infrastructure

Arnhem is one of the largest cities in the Netherlands, and the capital of the province of Gelderland. Surrounded by several national parks, Arnhem is proud of its green city reputation, and the municipality strongly commits to a sustainable development of the area. This year, the renovation project of Hugo de Grootstraat street in Arnhem attracted attention, as the works were done predominantly with electrical machines and minimal use of virgin construction materials. The Durofort stormwater pipes made from 100% recycled PVC and manufactured by Pipelife Netherlands were a 100%-fit for the ambitious project.

_{Bustling City Looking for Sustainable Solutions}

Housing a population of more than 160,000 people, Arnhem offers both a vibrant urban lifestyle and unspoiled escapes for nature lovers. Preserving such a balance requires a carefully planned development strategy, and in 2018, the municipality adopted its Green Vision framework with sustainable management listed among the main goals.

While environmentally friendly construction practices are not new to the city, the renovation of Hugo de Grootstraat has raised the bar even higher. Before renovation, the street had been used equally by cars and cyclists, which posed accident risks. To improve traffic management, it was decided to turn Hugo de Grootsraat into a street where cyclists would always have priority. Furthermore, the street had not been renewed for around four decades, and its underground infrastructure required modernization as well.

In order to minimize disturbance to the local community and reduce CO2 emissions, the municipality invested in several electrical cranes, bulldozers and mini excavators instead of relying on traditional, diesel-powered machines. While the availability of electrical construction equipment on the market is still limited and charging had to be carefully planned, the advantages were lower noise and air pollution.