Removing weed in a sustainable manner with thermal weed control

By Selina de Lang

Monday 6 September

Weed management

Removing weed in a sustainable manner: Sander Stam from KookUwOnkruid knows al about that subject. Sander designs the gardens of your dreams with his company Stam Tuinvormgeving. As a landscaping company and garden design agency, they regularly have to deal with weeds in unwanted places, for example during the construction or maintenance of a garden. That is why they set up KookUwOnkruid and have devised an innovative way for simple thermal weed control. The MCE machine from Empas in combination with a cargo bike. Yes, you read that correctly. With a cargo bike.

Thermal weed control: how does it work?

We start at the beginning: how does thermal weed control work? Removing weeds without chemicals, without poison and with hot water. Sander: “The boiling water technique serves several purposes. In addition to weeds, it also removes moss, green deposits and dirt on the sidewalk.” The high temperature of the water causes the root of the weeds to be destroyed or damaged. You will see immediate results and it is especially important that this method of weed control is repeated regularly. Weed control with hot water instead of poison weed control is an important first step in the sustainable direction.

Removing weed with the MCE machine from Empas

KookUwOnkruid uses the MCE machine from Empas. This is a compact and electric hot water unit, which makes it particularly suitable for use on smaller surfaces. Sander had been using the machine for a while when he was looking for a sustainable and efficient way to move the machine. While he first loaded the machine in and out of his bus, he came up with the idea of installing it in a cargo bike. Sander: “I was looking for a sustainable means of transport without a fuel engine that can get as close as possible to the place where the weeds have to be controlled. Easier, more sustainable and more efficient: and that's what it has become. We no longer have to use the car for just one street and much fewer actions are required.” How exactly does weed control with hot water in the form of a cargo bike work? The MCE machine is very compact and therefore fits in a cargo bike. Sander has built it into his KookUwWeed cargo bike. “The cargo bike is our mode of transport. We go to a location, park the bike as close as possible and roll out the garden hoses from there.”

From reliable machine to innovative cargo bike

A solid and reliable machine for weed control was converted into an innovative and renewed means of transport with an efficient function. The Empas team jumped up enthusiastically when they heard about the KookUwOnkruid cargo bike. Sander is also pleased with the machine – and with Empas itself. “The machine is very nice. I am non-technical myself, but this is a user-friendly and practical machine that can take a beating. I am also very happy with Empas; they provide good maintenance. If you have such a large company and you deliver that quality, then you have done well.”

Empas has been a specialist in hot water weed control since 1999. Whether you are a municipality, green contractor or landscape gardener looking for machines to remove weeds on (semi)surfaces and public areas: Empas offers user-friendly machines that are innovative and environmentally friendly. Check here which machines for weed control with hot water we all have, or find the nearest dealer in your area.