Reducing virgin raw material use
Through circular design and procurement, we want to make even smarter use of materials and use less new raw materials. In relevant material tenders, such as the purchase of new trains and company clothing, circularity is an important requirement in the selection and award phase. During the conversion of various NS offices, existing materials and train equipment were reused as much as possible,with old train floors being turned into furniture, glass train walls being repurposed as partitions and ceiling panels being transformed into desks. NS encourages its own staff, shop operators and travellers to reduce waste.
Bring your own cup
Every year, people drink millions of cups of coffee, tea or hot chocolate at stations alone, most of which are served in disposable cups. There has to be a different way. If travellers bring their own cup, they get a discount of € 0.25 or more at more than 200 shops in our stations.
Time to investigate: is bringing your own cup more sustainable than using disposable ones?
It sure is! According to research by Milieu Centraal, a reusable cup is more sustainable than a disposable cup after about 25 uses. From then on, the material used, the production process and the cleaning of the reusable cup weigh up against the production, disposal and processing of disposable cups.
Tip: use your cup multiple times before washing it (or just rinse it with cold water). After a few times, wash it in a full, energy-efficient washing machine (energy label A) or wash it by hand. This will keep the environmental impact as low as possible
Installing drinking water taps
Passengers can get free drinking water from water taps at around 255 stations. This means that 90% of travellers pass a water tap on their journey and can fill their own water bottle.
Don’t have your own bottle yet? Don’t worry, we sell water bottles at many stations.