On Tuesday, July 8, an event called 'Packaging with an Eye on the Future' took place at the Royal FloraHolland flower auction in Aalsmeer. Organized by the Horti Sustainable Packaging Initiative (HSPI), the event brought together over a hundred professionals from across the floriculture supply chain.
Exporters of flowers and plants, growers, packaging suppliers, and consultants gathered to discuss the impact of the new European regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste (PPWR), as well as how the sector can collectively innovate and move toward more sustainable practices.
The new PPWR will come into effect in August 2026. It introduces stricter requirements around recyclability, material use, and reporting obligations. For the floriculture industry, this means not only adapting to a new legal framework but also responding to rising expectations from buyers and end consumers regarding sustainability.
© Greenport Aalsmeer
Data collection
Siem Haffmans from Partners for Innovation provided a detailed explanation of the upcoming PPWR and outlined its implications for the floriculture sector. His message was clear: start collecting data now.
Only with accurate, reliable information on materials, sourcing, and circularity will companies be able to comply with the new regulations and make strategic decisions for the future.
Haffmans offered a word of caution: "Using recycled content isn't a guaranteed solution. The availability of high-quality recyclate is limited, and demand is only going to rise. Without long-term agreements with recyclers, like the ones Ikea has put in place, you risk falling behind."
Practical tools
The HSPI working groups then presented a series of practical tools designed to help companies take meaningful steps toward sustainability. These included a traffic light model for assessing recyclability, a certification toolkit (or "certificate basket"), a material overview with scores for each type of packaging, and a roadmap for footprinting. These resources are specifically developed to support packaging companies, users, and retailers in making well-informed decisions and in meeting future regulatory requirements.
Room for innovation
Elise Wieringa, Sustainability Manager at Intratuin, spoke about the evolving role of sustainability within the supply chain. She emphasized that true progress in sustainability only happens when it's embraced throughout the entire organization, from senior management to the shop floor.
She also encouraged the sector to think beyond simply optimizing existing packaging: "We need to focus more on the sustainable expectations of consumers. And if you're going to make your product or packaging more sustainable, you need to be able to back that up with real evidence."
Wieringa highlighted the importance of having a clear overview to guide strategic decision-making. "You need insight to make the right strategic choices. That's why I'm enthusiastic about HSPI's material overview and certification toolkit—they really help companies move forward."
Sharing data
The group discussion made one thing clear: sharing data and certification details about packaging between supply chain partners is essential. Without this transparency, sustainability claims remain vague, and reporting for initiatives like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), and the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) will be incomplete.
To address this, HSPI is joining forces with FSI to integrate packaging certification into the FSI chain platform. Jeroen Oudheusden, Executive Director of FSI, welcomed the move, noting that packaging is an integral part of a sustainably produced floricultural product.
In addition, HSPI is collaborating with Floricode to develop the Packaging Register (VRS)—a digital platform for sharing sustainability data related to packaging across the floriculture sector.
Sustainability requires management
According to Herold Dongelmans, Program Coordinator at HSPI, sustainability isn't something companies can tackle alone. It requires leadership, collaboration, and long-term agreements across the entire chain.
As one participant put it: "The floriculture supply chain is like a relay race—if one link stumbles, we all fall behind."
Source: Horti Sustainable Packaging Initiative
