Euro Plant Tray from a grower's perspective: Ter Laak Orchids speaking out
December 13, 2023
Step by step, Royal FloraHolland is working to make logistic supplies more sustainable. This includes participation in Euro Plant Tray, an initiative to introduce a multi-use plant tray series. How do growers view this initiative? In this series 'Euro Plant Tray from a grower's perspective' we let growers have their say.
Royal FloraHolland is participating in this initiative for two reasons; the first is from a sustainability perspective and the second is to represent the interests of our growers. It is important that the grower's perspective is understood and included in the decisions of the Euro Plant Tray cooperative. During meetings with a regular group of growers, we involve them in this initiative and engage with them to understand where the challenge lies for them. Ter Laak Orchids is one of the growers in this group. How do they view Euro Plant Tray?
'Listened carefully to our input'
Ewald de Koning is manager Innovation & Sustainability at Ter Laak Orchids in Wateringen, a nursery that produces some 9 million Phalaenopsis each year. Ter Laak sells its plants together with Orchios through the sales organization The Orchid Growers. "On behalf of this organization, I am affiliated with Orchid Netherlands, where we try to find solutions for making packaging in the chain more sustainable," he says.
From Orchid Netherlands, he is also involved in the development of Euro Plant Tray. "When designing the plant tray, our input was listened to carefully. For us it was most important that our product is stable in the tray. Also the handling is important, for example the trays should not clamp together. The tray that is there now is fine for our Phalaenopsis in 12cm pot."
'What will the pool system look like?'
"Now we are very curious about what the whole pool system in Europe will look like in a practical sense. Where can we collect the trays? Are there enough points to hand in the trays? But of course cost is also an important factor. Costs will ultimately be a determining factor for many end customers such as florists and garden centers. And a return system will lead to another extra operation anyway. For the large retail chains it won't be such a problem to guarantee this, but as far as the smaller players, who make up a large part of our customer base, are concerned, I am curious to see how this will work out."
Ewald emphasizes that Ter Laak sees Euro Plant Tray as part of the ambition to reduce the use of plastic in the chain. "We see it as one of the solutions for more sustainable packaging, in addition to boxes, perhaps cardboard trays and semi-reusable trays. These are trays that are slightly sturdier and that you can use more than once, but hardly differ in weight and price from 'regular' single-use trays. These are all ways to reduce the use of plastic and thus make packaging more sustainable."
Read more
Management column: making our logistics more sustainable
Making logistics resources sustainable with Euro Plant Tray
Royal FloraHolland is participating in this initiative for two reasons; the first is from a sustainability perspective and the second is to represent the interests of our growers. It is important that the grower's perspective is understood and included in the decisions of the Euro Plant Tray cooperative. During meetings with a regular group of growers, we involve them in this initiative and engage with them to understand where the challenge lies for them. Ter Laak Orchids is one of the growers in this group. How do they view Euro Plant Tray?
'Listened carefully to our input'
Ewald de Koning is manager Innovation & Sustainability at Ter Laak Orchids in Wateringen, a nursery that produces some 9 million Phalaenopsis each year. Ter Laak sells its plants together with Orchios through the sales organization The Orchid Growers. "On behalf of this organization, I am affiliated with Orchid Netherlands, where we try to find solutions for making packaging in the chain more sustainable," he says.
From Orchid Netherlands, he is also involved in the development of Euro Plant Tray. "When designing the plant tray, our input was listened to carefully. For us it was most important that our product is stable in the tray. Also the handling is important, for example the trays should not clamp together. The tray that is there now is fine for our Phalaenopsis in 12cm pot."
'What will the pool system look like?'
"Now we are very curious about what the whole pool system in Europe will look like in a practical sense. Where can we collect the trays? Are there enough points to hand in the trays? But of course cost is also an important factor. Costs will ultimately be a determining factor for many end customers such as florists and garden centers. And a return system will lead to another extra operation anyway. For the large retail chains it won't be such a problem to guarantee this, but as far as the smaller players, who make up a large part of our customer base, are concerned, I am curious to see how this will work out."
Ewald emphasizes that Ter Laak sees Euro Plant Tray as part of the ambition to reduce the use of plastic in the chain. "We see it as one of the solutions for more sustainable packaging, in addition to boxes, perhaps cardboard trays and semi-reusable trays. These are trays that are slightly sturdier and that you can use more than once, but hardly differ in weight and price from 'regular' single-use trays. These are all ways to reduce the use of plastic and thus make packaging more sustainable."
Read more
Management column: making our logistics more sustainable
Making logistics resources sustainable with Euro Plant Tray
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