(djd-p). Spring is planting time: recreational gardeners everywhere are now again beautifying terraces, balconies and beds. Many people are annoyed by the large amounts of plastic waste that arise from using the plant supports only once. More environmentally friendly reusable systems prove that there is another way.
Why are reusable pallets for plants environmentally friendly?
Plants in reusable pallets reduce plastic waste and save around 30% carbon dioxide compared to disposable pallets. Companies like toom rely on the Floritray reusable system for more sustainable plant transport in order to reduce the ecological footprint.
Reusable systems save waste
The discussion is on everyone's lips: There are many ways to reduce waste through disposable packaging. In the catering industry, for example, reusable packaging for take-away food must also be offered since the beginning of 2023. Toom has long shown that there are more sustainable solutions for plant transport. After all, many people like to use practical pallets to transport plants from the hardware store home. For a long time there was only one way to do this: in the bin after a single use. “Not only are the disposable pallets difficult to dispose of, they also produce a lot of plastic waste. This has been a thorn in our side for a long time,” says Tobias Theuerkauf, Logistics Manager at toom and project manager.
More sustainable project is being expanded
Since April 2022, toom has been relying on the Floritray reusable solution for plant transport. What began as a pilot project with 60,000 pallets will be expanded this year to include 300,000 pallets for additional pot sizes. From the markets to private garden owners and then back for reuse – this is what the transport pallet cycle looks like. This offers a variety of advantages: In addition to plastic, the reusable systems also save around 30 percent of carbon dioxide compared to the disposable system. “So that we can maintain the cycle, we ask our customers to simply hand the pallets back on their next visit,” says Theuerkauf.
First hardware stores are pioneering reusable pallets and are continuing to expand this offering. Photo: djd/toom
Gardening the eco-friendly way
Leisure gardeners are also enthusiastic about the possibility of saving waste. There is therefore great hope that other companies in the industry will use reusable pallets for selling plants in the future. “We are convinced that Floritray meets all the requirements to become a reusable industry solution,” emphasizes Dominique Rotondi, Managing Director for Purchasing and Logistics at toom. The company has been committed to more sustainable development in the garden and hardware store industry for many years. More information can be found at toom.de/nachh altigkeit.
