On 2nd April 2019 , the International Association of Horticultural Producers ( AIPH ) brought together central industriousness players in the coastal town of Noordwijk , the Netherlands , for a conference entitle ‘ Plastics in Ornamental Horticulture – create a Sustainable Supply Chain ’ .
The upshot , coordinated by the connexion as part of its Spring Meeting , was hold with the purpose of exchanging noesis and facilitating discussion on the usage of plastics within the industry . In recent years the issue has come up higher on the agenda of governments , NGOs and business organization globally . With the UN sustainable development goals ( SDGs ) more and more incorporated into government insurance ; the first moment that sustainability should be a core brand economic value and the rapid earth gallant of consumer behaviour on products such as plastic straws , it is both incumbent and imperative for industry to take a close flavor at its purpose of plastics in products and process .
Keynote speaker Dr. David Bek of Coventry University gave a broad overview of charge plate within the context of use of sustainability and he identify the three most significant impacts ; climate variety ( a event of the production process ) , environmental ( the abjection of born systems e.g. ocean ) and human wellness ( leaching into the food chain ) . A Mintel study recently revealed that ¾ of UK consumer conceive too much charge plate is used in publicity and some retailers have vowed to reduce credit card on shelf and replace it with alternatives , with flowers for example , using string ties , no plastic wrapper and recycled cardboard labels .
mathematical group photo of the AIPH Sustainability Conference speakers and jury guests : Back leave to right : Peter Vaughan , Jose van der Klauw , Jeroen Oudheusden , Middle row left to right hand : Johan Thans , Dr David Bek , Brett Avery , Elise Wieringa , Tim Briercliffe , Bottom exit to right : Professor Charles Hall , Sven Hoping , Martin Simmons .
Ecochain Technologies Founder , Boudewijn Mos , gave an informative presentation which revealed the first carbon copy groundwork print was measured in 1969 by Coco Cola as a method of trend costs and increase profits . Mos defined the gravid area of a company ’s atomic number 6 footprint as its big area of diminished resources . By calculate great deal used at each step of the value mountain range and the amount of that mass which is recycled , it is clear to construct a substantial business concern case for sustainable investment or riposte on sustainable investiture ( ROSI ) .
Sustainability Managers Elise Wieringa of Royal Lemkes and Jose van der Klauw of Van Dijk Flora presented their companies ’ joint reception to KVG – a Dutch government enterprise to reduce post - consumer charge plate dissipation . Elise urge the value of behavioural change . Their project identify five Rs : Refuse ( do n’t use unneeded plastic ) , Reduce , Recycle , Reuse and Renew and created an diligence recycling solution for exclusive enjoyment trays .
Having also unite forces , ten UK cultivator unify to lick the issue of carbon copy black pots which current UK kerbside recycling facilities can not process . Martin Simmons of the Horticultural Trades Association ( HTA ) , the system which constitute the enterprisingness , presented the new taupe Mary Jane . The pot has been chop-chop adopted by the large UK greenhouse Farplants and its managing manager and loudspeaker system Brett Avery believe the ship’s company will be using 100 % taupe pots by 2020 .
Yme Pasma , Chief Operations Officer of Royal Flora Holland ( RFH ) presented the ‘ Plastic Pact ’ and RFH ’s € 26 m investiture to develop the Modern 588 flower bucket . Sven hope of Poppelmann challenge the perspective of credit card as waste and set the divergence of pliant consumer wasteland ( PCR ) and credit card industry waste ( PIR ) . He states that charge plate has note value if used responsibly . The Poppelmann Blue recyclable pot was launched in 2018 and is today used in selling 80 % of all German herb .
Professor Charlie Hall of Texas A&M University let out that fifty years of case studies demonstrate sustainability is the route to cost saving . Through lifecycle mapping of every stuff and activity in output it is potential to measure carbon copy footmark . He recommended that lifecycle mapping should be document for landscape systems rather than case-by-case plants , so the broad sustainability of the diligence is considered and that to leverage this data it is critical to communicate it to policy Jehovah .
The course of study was completed with a panel discussion comprising Speaker Dr Bek , Charles Hall and Elise Wieringa as well as Jeroen Oudheusden of Floriculture Sustainability Initiative , Piet Briet of Royal FloraHolland and Peter Vaughan of the Nursery and Garden Industry Australia .
The conference raised many complex issues ; regional differences , consumer attitudes , variety of plastics , impacts of product in rise countries etc . However , in decipherable understanding , all speakers stated that sustainability is an investment that increases profits and lose weight disconfirming economic , social and environmental shock . Whilst the lineament of charge card were recognised ; its light weight generates a dispirited carbon footprint and its barrier attribute reduce food wasteland , the resounding messages were decipherable ‘ refuse , cut back , reuse , recycle and renew ’ .
Speakers call for transparence and for concern to trust ROSI and work collectively to optimise and speed up the gains . “ The sustainability problem is too big for the singular selling proposition of one line of work to total before the solutions for the total sustainable planetary horticultural diligence ” stated Dr Bek .
Commenting on the outcomes of the conference AIPH Secretary General , Tim Briercliffe articulate “ It is clear that the ornamentals industry around the humankind is engaging in tackling this government issue . There is no one solution and coaction in the supply chain will be necessary to reduce the impact through reducing , re - using and recycling . However , it is open that there are many very confident initiative afoot and the manufacture has many opportunities to get imply in define the future in relation to the use of charge plate . ”
For more info : AIPHwww.aiph.org
