The road to a sustainable floriculture chain runs along several tracks. One of them involves the packaging of the flowers and plants, both for transport and the shop. Merel de Vries, sustainability adviser at Paardekooper, and Theo van Mullem, sales manager at Dillewijn Alflora, update us.
Transport
Theo: ‘Transport packaging does not have to be pretty, it has to protect the flowers and plants. In addition to cardboard flower boxes, we now have the Eco Flowerbox FECT. This is a collapsible crate made of recycled plastic which will last at least seven years. We are currently running a pilot at Plantion with this multi-use box.’ Merel: ‘We have also developed the CircularBag. In it, florists and processors collect all their flexible waste plastic. We then collect the full bags and recycle the material into film.’
Following trends
Merel: ‘The packaging material for a bouquet or plant at the florist’s does need to follow trends. The cover or paper must have a nice design or be a certain colour. Florists are also increasingly being asked whether their packaging is sustainable.’ Theo: ‘Two years ago, we processed full CircularBags into films and sleeves made of 100 per cent recycled material. But consumers did not accept that cover as it was not transparent. Instead, we now have Recy Clear. We make these almost entirely from recycled plastic and they are completely transparent. Rosa Plaza is one of our first customers.’
Quality
Merel: ‘When we develop new packaging materials, we focus on how much slimmer, shorter and thinner we can make the material without losing quality. This applies to both plastic and paper.’ Theo: ‘Functionality must remain the same and the price must be acceptable. If the more sustainable product is twice as expensive, the florist will not buy it.’
Opportunities
Merel: ‘The demand for more sustainable packaging is definitely growing, both among consumers and professionals. That is why every grower and florist should think about this. Not everything has to be done at once, though. Taking things step by step is also a great approach.’ Theo: ‘We also expect the necessary European legislation in the coming years. VBW and the VBN are tackling sustainability and we are doing our part with proper, sustainable and affordable packaging.’
For a large selection of more sustainable packaging, Dillewijn Alflora at Groothandelscentrum Plantion in Ede is the place to be.