Transforming waste into
opportunity.
WasteBase is a pioneering platform, that aims to revolutionize the way materials are sourced, utilized, and repurposed in the design industry.
With a background in Industrial Design Engineering, founders Romaike Slikker and Ramon de Iongh witnessed firsthand the abundance of residual materials discarded by manufacturers and the untapped potential for these materials to be repurposed into new, valuable products.
Romaike Slikker & Ramon de Iongh
Founders WasteBase
Waste isn't waste
until it's wasted.
We are on a mission to increase the findability and usability of the valuable materials that are discarded every day. We connect Dutch manufacturers with left-over materials with designers, facilitating the reuse and repurposing of residual materials. We believe in the power of collaboration and the transformative impact of sustainable design.
Our platform offers a curated selection of high-quality residual materials. Designers can explore our database, discover unique materials, and unlock new creative possibilities for their projects. Through education, collaboration, and innovation, we strive to inspire positive change and drive meaningful impact in the design industry and beyond. Together, we can make a difference—one material at a time.
Explanation Video
Discover a platform where material-driven designers
and innovative manufacturers unite to close the loops.
Milestones
Summer 2025
WasteBase takes part in the first-ever Amsterdam Innovation Day, celebrating the city’s 750th anniversary. At our stand, we ran an interactive experiment asking visitors to respond to the statement: “Consumer products are still too often made from new materials.” Attendees placed stickers to show their level of agreement and scooped residual material into jars to vote on who they believe holds the greatest responsibility—consumers, government, manufacturers, or others.
At the end of the day, we were honored to receive the “Most Innovative Startup of Amsterdam” award. A proud milestone that reinforces the relevance and urgency of our mission.
Spring 2025
WasteBase joins forces with circular design initiatives Circlefied and Studio Cutting Edge to close the loop from leftover materials to functional design. WasteBase sources the residual streams, Circlefied transforms them into solid sheets using a heat press, and Studio Cutting Edge laser-cuts them into usable design components. This ongoing project demonstrates the power of collaboration and aims to inspire others to join, or start, their own circular chains.
Winter 2024
For the second year in a row, WasteBase showcased its mission at Dutch Design Week. This time with an open design challenge. We invited our network of creatives to design something new using one of our listed residual materials. The result: 16 inspiring submissions. Three standout designs—one winner and two runner-ups—were selected and proudly exhibited during the event. A celebration of creativity, waste, and circular potential.
Read more about the challenge and our presence at DDW here.
Fall 2024
WasteBase is invited to pitch live on Dutch national station BNR Radio. In an on-air conversation with the host, we debated the role and responsibility of manufacturers in driving circular change. The segment sparked important dialogue and brought our message to a broader audience—waste isn’t just a problem, it’s an opportunity for those willing to act.
Summer 2024
WasteBase joins The Next Web (TNW) Conference in Amsterdam as one of the City of Amsterdam’s most promising startups. Over two days, we presented our mission to investors, tech professionals, and impact-driven innovators. The highlight: pitching on the prestigious “Growth Stage” in front of a packed audience. We received heartfelt compliments on our professional approach and the clarity of our mission, proving once again that circularity belongs at the forefront of innovation.
Summer 2024
WasteBase curates the official goodie bag for the 3E Conference in Amsterdam—showcasing how circularity can be both practical and inspiring. Each bag included misprinted cotton totes saved from disposal, phone holders crafted from residual PET felt, locally baked vegan cookies from a circular partner, and a guide with simple tips for individuals to live more sustainably. A small bag with a big message: waste can be reimagined.
Spring 2024
The WasteBase material wall finds a permanent home in the newly opened building of the University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam. Proudly placed on the first floor, its eye-catching presence draws in hundreds of students. Sparking curiosity, conversations, and a deeper understanding of our mission to give valuable materials a second life.
Spring 2024
A major milestone for WasteBase: our very first full pallet of residual material is sold through the platform. This transaction marks the beginning of real-world impact and validates the need for a structured system to give waste new purpose.
Winter 2023
A major milestone: WasteBase was selected to showcase its mission at Dutch Design Week—one of the world’s most renowned design events. Positioned at a prime location, our striking material wall drew the attention of thousands of visitors. As the highlight of the week, we had the honor of presenting our work to Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands. Read more about this milestone here.
Winter 2023
We kicked off a collaboration with the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, where design students started working hands-on with our residual streams. Their fresh perspectives help explore new creative potential for industrial leftovers. Read more about it in this article.
Summer 2023
WasteBase was selected as a pre-finalist for the AMSIA Awards—an international recognition of startups tackling global sustainability challenges. Reaching this stage validated our relevance and potential on a broader stage.
Spring 2023
After months of groundwork and building largely independently, WasteBase proudly launches the beta version of its platform, the first public step toward connecting residual materials to circular designers.
Spring 2023
We received the first batch of residual materials from Dutch manufacturers; ten unique flows that laid the foundation for our database. These early contributions validated industry interest and gave us the input needed to move forward.
Winter 2022
After pitching the concept, WasteBase is granted the HBO Take-Off subsidy of €40,000. A fund awarded to early-stage projects to conduct a feasibility study and take their first steps toward market readiness.
Fall 2022
As our assumptions were validated and the need for WasteBase became increasingly clear, we officially registered the company on October 26, 2022, marking the transition from concept to committed venture in the Dutch Circular Design Movement.
Summer 2022
With support from the AUAS Launch Grant, WasteBase took its first real step by building a clickable prototype to test core assumptions. It marked the shift from concept to creation, laying the groundwork for a workable platform.
2021 - 2022
The seed for WasteBase was planted. Through the 10K Incubator and Validator programs at the AUAS Venture Centre, the concept matured from a rough idea into a concrete ambition; to connect creative makers with residual materials and drive the circular economy from the ground up.
During the founder's Bachelor of Industrial Design Engineering at AUAS, the urgency of our material crisis became clear. It was here that the need for circular design arose. Not just as a concept, but as a responsibility. This period laid the foundation for the ideas behind WasteBase.
