News » 01.08.2024 - Sustainable, reusable tulip sleeve promises faster and cheaper packing

In collaboration with ColorPack, Paardekooper presents the Flower Eco Sheet, a reusable tulip sleeve as an alternative to paper sheets. "With the Flower Eco Sheet, ColorPack saves 15 m³ of paper (waste) per packing location each week, and the processing time for internal transport in crates is halved," the Paardekooper team explains.

The idea for the reusable tulip sleeve came from Robin Barnhoorn, export manager at ColorPack. Robin: "I have been bothered for years by the large amount of paper that is thrown away. So I started looking for alternatives. Inspired by a supermarket big shopper, I developed a prototype. In collaboration with Paardekooper, this idea has been further developed into a full-fledged, sustainable packaging solution for tulip growers."

50% less processing time
The Flower Eco Sheet is intended for tulip transport in all types of crates and replaces the paper tulip sheet. Jan van Dillewijn, Account Manager at Paardekooper, says: "Where paper sheets are sealed with tape, the Flower Eco Sheet seals itself. This provides extra ease of use. Also, only one reusable tulip sleeve per crate is needed instead of two. This reduces handling and halves the number of trips needed for both packing and unpacking."

Less paper, lower costs
Paper sheets are discarded after use, unlike the Flower Eco Sheet, which is expected to last at least five years. This results in significant material and cost savings. Robin: "We have been working with the Flower Eco Sheet for two years now and save ten 1.5-cubic-meter containers of paper waste per packing location each week. The cost savings, given current paper prices, are around € 2.40 per full cart. We process about 100 carts daily, so you can imagine the savings are substantial. The payback period is about 14 weeks, with an average reuse of 28 times." After each season, the reusable tulip sleeve must be washed. This can be done in the existing washing systems at growers and exporters. When the Flower Eco Sheet reaches the end of its life, it is fully recyclable after the removal of the drawstring.

Quality
The reusable tulip sleeve is made from polypropylene. According to the Paardekooper team, this material is recyclable, strong, and does not absorb moisture. Thanks to its fibrous structure, the flowers stay well in place. Practical use also shows that the new packaging reduces the chance of crooked stems, they state.

 

Source: www.floraldaily.com

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