The foldable Eco Flowerbox / FECT® - the sustainable alternative to the cardboard flower box - was specially designed for flowers and plants transported on a platform trolley. .
The box is made of 100% recycled plastic and is recycled into a new box after its lifespan of about 7 years.
The Circular Business Team informs entrepreneurs and associations in the Hoeksche Waard about the ban on disposable cups.
Our goal for 2024 is for all functionally involved employees to feel (partly) responsible for making reuse a success and to support this change.
‘Making an organization sustainable and introducing reusable systems is continuously taking two steps forward and one step back. But ultimately, when you look back on the year, we have achieved a lot. Not moving forward is not an option for us.’
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The Circular Business Team is the driver behind the transition from disposable to reusable packaging.
However, I would like the government to provide more guidance or incentives. Like the implementation and enforcement of the PPWR legislation, but also incentive schemes, subsidies and 'convenience' for our customers from municipalities, the central government or Verpact. Not just costs and legislation, but above all how do we make it easy for entrepreneurs to choose reuse. This helps to increase the urgency and feasibility of reusable total solutions among our customers.
Increase urgency and feasibility
The most enjoyable and interesting aspect of circular total solutions is always thinking from the perspective of all stakeholders in the chain. How does a customer or end customer experience something? How does something work for a chain partner? How do we keep the entire system simple, accessible and affordable and achieve the lowest environmental impact? It’s like a puzzle, which is different for every situation.
Reusable packaging solutions are often seen as a 'hassle' or a 'project'. In my ideal world, ordering a reusable solution is as easy as ordering a disposable one.
I want to make the world a bit better by making existing business models more sustainable and transforming them into scalable reuse solutions with measurable environmental impact. In my private life, this translates into embracing second-hand clothing, interior design or gifts. In this way, I also hope to create a 'mini-trend' locally around a more sustainable lifestyle.
Elske Schotte,
Group Manager Circular Business
Ordering convenience
We are working towards getting more and more of our sales from our reusable assortment by 2030. Paardekooper not only gets recognized and acknowledged for its expertise in the field of packaging and Life Cycle Assessments, but we are also seen by our customers and partners as an authority in the field of total solutions around re-use.
The Circular Business Team wants to achieve a great deal in a short space of time in order to be at the forefront of the market. However, getting support and motivating the organization and its people obviously does not happen overnight. How do we get people on board our 'train' as quickly as possible based on an intrinsic motivation so that we can plan the ultimate solution and customer journey together? And how do we get reuse top of mind among all our colleagues so that we really leverage all those good customer relationships we cherish within Paardekooper?
Reuse top of mind
The team collaborates with other teams across the organization. After all, our new solutions affect the whole chain. From marketing, sales, online, procurement and product management, to logistics, supply chain, IT, data management, and finance. Our goal for 2024 is that all employees involved feel (jointly) responsible for the success of reuse and support this change. So, besides ongoing projects, we are also really making an effort to involve employees in this change.
Circular Business affects the entire organization
Where technically possible and where an LCA study shows that this is the best option, reuse is the goal for the products in our assortment. For other products, we are working on increasingly sustainable alternatives, such as films and bags made from recycled materials.
I believe that if we make reuse easy and accessible for customers, we can really help them make the switch. For that reason, developing, introducing and scaling up attractive comprehensive solutions is the main priority of my team. In our work, we focus on systems whereby we can maximize reuse and thus minimize the environmental impact. Two examples:
Our rental solutions for meal containers and cups: in addition to washing them, we also offer a number of deposit solutions so that as many items as possible can be returned and reused.
Our rental solution for reusable flower buckets: thanks to RFID technology, we know exactly how long it takes for each bucket to be returned, so we can optimize stock levels accordingly. Scanning is also faster, which keeps down operational costs in the chain, including for our partners.
Thinking from the perspective of the chain
Paardekooper's vision on reusable packaging
Circular chain partner