Sustainability

With our sustainability programme we are making our contribution to a better environment step by step. It is an ongoing process that never ends. We would like to tell you more about the steps we have taken and that we are currently working on.

Environmentally-friendly floriculture sector

Sustainability is a broad term. In essence, it means that in a sustainable world there is a good balance between people, planet, profit and prosperity. If this is balanced, we are not exploiting the planet and future generations can still enjoy it. Interest in an environmentally-friendly floriculture sector is growing rapidly within society. Doing business transparently is becoming increasingly important for participants in the floriculture sector. Every business within the floriculture supply chain has its own responsibility in bringing about greater sustainability. Together we can give the sector’s image a positive boost.

Floriculture Sustainability Initiative

We have been part of the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) since January 2023. This is a market-driven initiative that brings together members of the international floriculture sector to share sustainable initiatives with one another. Together we are working on various innovative projects to make the entire sector more sustainable. As we move towards 2025, we are building on progress made in terms of transparency, responsible production and trade, positive impact and improvements in the floriculture supply chain. We are very keen to work with FSI towards a more sustainable world step by step!

Sustainable crate

In collaboration with three other innovative companies, we have developed a sustainable plastic flower crate. This reusable crate aligns perfectly with our sustainability vision and significantly reduces cardboard waste for our customers. Besides being eco-friendly, it also enhances the quality of the flowers. The crates provide optimal air circulation and excellent protection for the flowers. We are gradually transitioning from cardboard boxes to these flower crates, group by group.

This APP Flowercrate has been nominated for the Greenovation Award in 2024! This award, presented by Royal Flora Holland, recognises the best sustainable innovation in the floriculture sector and was presented during the Trade Fair Aalsmeer. Unfortunately, we did not win the award, but we are proud that this sustainable development has been nominated.

Sustainable operational processes

Sustainable operational processes go beyond just sorting our waste (which we do, of course). We have also made a number of sustainability improvements in terms of transport, such as: speed limiters on our vans, lightweight cargo boxes, and an automatic planning system to avoid driving unnecessary distances.

Sustainable products

But we are also supporting you as a customer in achieving greater sustainability - with our sustainability filter in the webshop, for example. You can use it to filter for sustainable products with certifications such as:

MPS A, A+, B, C
Ephea Gold / Silver
FKC Gold / Silver
Planetproof
Florverde
Biologisch

We will shortly also make it possible for you to see for each invoice what percentage of the products that you have purchased are sustainable. The webshop will also feature a barometer that enables you to see as you shop what percentage of the products you are buying are sustainable.

New cooling installation

To substantially reduce our electricity consumption, in the summer of 2023 we replaced the cooling installation of our cold store at our premises in Rijnsburg with a new cooling installation. This new cooling installation no longer cools on the basis of a synthetic refrigerant, but on the basis of a natural refrigerant, which has a much lower environmental impact.

Besides significantly lower energy consumption, this installation produces less noise and less air flow. This significantly increases the quality of the working environment. Moreover, the climate in the cold store is now even better for the flowers. The temperature is now constant at every point in the cold store and, even more importantly, humidity is much better regulated, as cooling is now based on a natural refrigerant. So all this benefits the quality of the flowers you buy from us.

The picture shows one of the components of the installation. This component, which weighs as much as 6 tonnes, was lifted onto the roof with a crane.

Too good to go

'Too good to go' is now common knowledge in various sectors. Within our webshop, we are now also using this as a label for flowers and plants that are still of good quality, but have been in stock with us for a while. You can buy the 'Too good to go' products at a reduced price. In this way, we speed up throughput and offer you the freshest stock.

Sustainable concept The 'Too good to go' label is a beautiful sustainable concept in which we work together to minimise the waste of flowers. Throwing them away is a waste and not always necessary. For mourning arrangements or bridal arrangements, for example, it is better to use more mature flowers.

Barometer Duurzame Bloemist / Sustainable Florist Barometer

The Barometer Duurzame Bloemist quality mark in the Netherlands is enjoying rapid growth. Florists can use this independent quality mark to show that they operate sustainably. The florist does this by working more sustainably and by stocking a range of sustainable flowers and plants. We can support you with the latter by providing insight into your sustainable buying. On our sustainability dashboard you can see as a glance what percentage of your purchases are sustainable products. That saves a lot of admin.

This Dutch Barometer Duurzame Bloemist certification scheme is also available internationally with the international ‘Sustainable Florist’ name and logo.

Depending on the percentage of more sustainable flowers and plants purchased and the number of points achieved for the operational activities, a florist is certified at the Barometer’s bronze, silver or gold standard.

The minimum annual purchase percentages of more sustainable products required for certification are (flowers, plants and cut foliage):

50% = gold
30% = silver
15% = bronze

The percentage of products purchased with a sustainability certificate is calculated on the basis of the percentage of the purchase amount in euros.

Sustainable initiatives

We are seeing that sustainability is also an important issue for our partners. Hence Anthurium grower Houwenplant has recently started offering anthuriums under the Fair Flora label. You can read more about this in our blog.

Sustainability is ongoing

We will never ‘finish’ sustainability - it’s an ongoing process. We screen every department and every process constantly in order to examine how we can make it even more sustainable. For ourselves, for you and for the next generation - our children. For a greener and better world!