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 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.

A major project that is currently ongoing is the development of a reusable plastic crate: an alternative and sustainable form of packaging which will significantly reduce our use of cardboard. We will tell you about this as soon as this project is nearing completion.

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.

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!