Every year tons of materials are used to build temporary installations: stands, stages, wall partitions.... which are often disposed of after a few days of use. The MODS project offers a sustainable alternative in this regard. MODS is overhauling temporary installations, based on the principles of ecological design and circular economy. MODS works with modular wooden modules made from wood offcuts.
This initiative is supported by the FPS Public Health and the investment fund "Belgium Builds Back Circular" (BBBC), which encourages projects that reduce waste and convert it into local and sustainable resources.
A Simple, Modular and Reusable Solution
A MODS is a wooden module measuring 50 x 50 x 10 cm. It is designed to be easily assembled and offers an infinite variety of possible structures. Thanks to a range of interchangeable accessories - such as connections, end pieces, legs - the same elements can be reconfigured again and again from one project to another. Thay way, there is less need for new materials and storage space.
Because they are extremely flexible, the same stock of MODS can be used for different installations over time. This makes it an evolvable and reusable solution. The demand for these modular and reusable products continues to grow. Thanks to this success, the company has now established itself in Belgium as well as abroad through several subsidiaries.
The MODS module fits perfectly within the principles of circular economy. It is made in Belgium from wood offcuts from local cabinetmakers. That means that the use of new raw materials is kept to a minimum. The company also optimises each stage of production by investing in modern machinery and digital tools to reduce lost material and make the products more recyclable. Their motto is: do more with less.
A Dual Approach: Ecological and Social
Besides the environmental impact, MODS also has a social dimension, based on two complementary rationales:
The functionality economy: use takes precedence over ownership. The modules can be rented or shared, thereby avoiding overproduction of single-use articles - and therefore waste.
The social economy: the cooperative guarantees safe and fair working conditions.
A Solution in Line With European Ambitions
Financial support from BBBC, which emerged from the European NextGenerationEU plan, will allow MODS to develop a concrete solution to reduce waste in the professional temporary installations sector. It provides teams with the resources to design, test and refine a modular and circular product. It is aligned with the sustainability and traceability objectives of the European EUDR.
This project demonstrates that rethinking materials and uses from the design phase can result in more flexibility, frugality and responsibility. It is a concrete solution, conceived locally, but ready to inspire other sectors that still rely to a significant extent on disposable products.
