I became interested in making climbing holds while starting a climbing gym in Leuven, Belgium. I learned that climbing holds, particularly the larger ones, are expensive and because production can’t follow demand, climbing gyms have to wait up to eight months to receive them after ordering. 
We had to abandon our climbing gym project after the building's owner sold it to someone who didn't want a climbing gym. However, this setback gave me the opportunity to rethink the way climbing holds are produced. As a mechanical engineer and machine builder, I found it a fun challenge to come up with an innovative method of producing climbing holds in a faster and less costly way.
 

During my research, I learned something new and I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t thought about this before, but apparently almost all climbing holds hanging around are not recyclable! Smaller holds are typically made by mixing and pouring liquid PU or PE, which hardens through a chemical reaction. These thermosetting plastics, once set, cannot be melted and reshaped, making them non-recyclable. Larger holds are often made from fiberglass, which also can't be recycled. This was a painful discovery for me and I knew I could think of something better. Making climbing holds recyclable would become my main goal, and producing them quickly and cost effectively would be necessary in my quest against non-recyclable climbing holds.