Giving Back 1%: Our donation is reaching new heights!

We started saving in April 2022, and in December we promised to announce where our savings would go. It took a little longer than expected—we needed some extra time to tie up all the loose ends. But now the time has finally come: we’ve made our first donation. The money we saved with your help has found a home—literally and figuratively, something to get excited about.

SUSTAINABLE ROOFS SERVICE CENTER

We’re going to contribute to the installation of green roofs! Why? Let us explain.

GREEN ROOF?

A green roof is a roof with a touch of green. Green roofs are roofs planted with vegetation. This creates a small urban garden on the roof, offering a number of attractive and sustainable benefits:

• The roof absorbs rainwater. Those downpours we get these days can be quite a nuisance at times.
• The plants help purify the air. Take a deep breath…
• It lowers the ambient temperature. Sustainable air conditioning, anyone?
• Reduces ambient noise, both outside and inside. The downside: you won’t get to enjoy a juicy neighborly argument anymore…
• Extends the roof’s lifespan. A nice bonus.
• Adds value to the property. Bring it on.
• Increases biodiversity. Before you know it, you’ll be a birdwatcher.
• Creates a fire-resistant layer. The roof, the roof, the roof is… well, what?

In short, green roofs aren’t just pretty to look at—they’re also very eco-friendly.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? After some serious deliberation, we settled on Servicepunt Duurzame Daken (translated into english as the “Service point Sustainable Roofs”), a Dutch foundation with a mission: to transform the roofs of the municipality of Utrecht into a green oasis. We’ll let them speak for themselves on this occasion.

“Servicepunt Duurzame Daken sees opportunities to create new nature areas right in the heart of the cities and towns of the province of Utrecht. On the largest unused space we have in the Netherlands: the rooftops! The province of Utrecht has approximately 56 km² of rooftop space, a large portion of which is flat. So there are plenty of opportunities! We’re promoting this through our own Servicepunt Duurzame Daken. We could really use some extra funding to, for example, offer a free quick scan to resident initiatives (involving at least 10 neighbors working together or a neighborhood roof of at least 250 m²). We were able to offer that free quick scan last year, and it was a huge success.”

With this pitch, the green heroes struck a chord with us—and opened our wallets. We found our cause!

HOW DOES IT WORK IN PRACTICE?

Our (correction: your!) donation is used to keep the free quick scan going. Each quick scan costs 500 euros; the result is an accurate calculation of the costs and—just as importantly—the weight the roof can support. On top of that, there’s about 5 hours of additional advice and guidance.

By the way, Servicepunt Duurzame Daken asks every applicant to sign a document stating that if they do not proceed with the sustainable roof project after the quick scan, they must reimburse the cost of the quick scan so that someone else can benefit from it. Wasting money: that’s not their style—and it’s not ours either : ) Every euro donated is spent wisely and fairly.

So, now you’re all caught up. Green is the new black. The roof is the new erogenous zone. Sounds corny? It’s supposed to be, because on a sloped roof, one of those trendy urban rooftop gardens for the birds and bees is bound to slide around.

P.S.: If you’re smart—and live in the city of Utrecht—you’ll rally your neighbours and request a free quick scan for a green roof yourself. Two birds with one stone :-)

More info:

(note: these sources are only available in Dutch)
NMU Green Roofs Service Center website
Flyer: Multifunctional Roofs