“Our range is responding to the ever increasing demand for environmentally friendly products,” says Arie den Hertog, Product Manager at Modiform. The ecoExpert line is a complete range of horticultural products made of 100% recycled cardboard waste, and after their use, the products are completely biodegradable. “From grower to consumer, this range offers a new sustainable solution for pots and trays.” 
Arie den Hertog and some ecoExpert pots and tray
Cardboard: from negative to positive
According to Den Hertog, the consumer’s perspective concerning materials has changed drastically over the years. “Ten years ago, paper and cardboard material was viewed in a negative light by consumers, as it causes the cutting of trees. This perspective has changed due to better information for users and labels such as FSC and PEFC, which assure sustainable forestry. Now, consumers have become more aware of the negative environmental effects of single-use plastics, whereas cardboard is made from a natural and renewable source. Still, concerning both materials, it is important to have the production be as circular as possible. ecoExpert is made of cardboard waste from FSC certified sources. Therefore, at Modiform, our ambition is to kick out virgin plastic in our production from 2025 onwards.”
Recycled origin, recycled by consumer
Modiform’s strategy is to have their production use recycled materials, as well as for the products to be recycled by the consumers. “Under consumers, paper recycling is already being done in much higher percentages, when compared to plastics. Therefore, it is important for us to have this ecoExpert range. The pots are also biodegradable and compostable. When the consumer buys a plant, the pot can be put in the ground along with the plant, where the pot will naturally degrade within a year. As a result, our products are Cyclos certified and contribute to a more sustainable world.”
Advantages for grower
Den Hertog explains that the ecoExpert range provides growers with a sustainable alternative to plastic, which enables the grower (and retailer) to meet the sustainable demand from the consumer. “We have a wide ecoExpert assortment, with almost 40 products, which is quickly expanding as the demand for them has been increasing. Just like plastic pots, the new ecoExpert pots are de-stackable and optimized for automated production, and while plastic is a more waterproof material than paper is, our products have a biological wax applied to them, making them strong and water resistant while remaining biodegradable.”
For more information:
Modiform
Arie den Hertog
AdenHertog@modiform.nl
www.modiform.com/en/custom-solutions/eco-expert
Click here for the ecoExpert leaflet