Versatility and eco-consciousness combine in flower and plant sleeves

It is a delicate balancing act to address customers’ needs—who predominantly keep asking for reliable plastic BOPP sleeves—while saving the planet and its people. On-trend packaging expert Koen Pack addresses the issue of eco-consciousness by participating in several corporate sustainability programmes and the HSPI (Horticultural Sustainability Packaging Initiative).

Located opposite the flower auction Royal FloraHolland Aalsmeer, on the outskirts of Amstelveen, the industrial park De Loeten is home to Koen Pack, a supplier of flower and potted plant packaging. Its extensive range of sleeves takes pride of place.

Koen and Cristol Broekhuizen started their company in 1996 from the kitchen table because they realised how things could be done differently, better, and more personally.

Today, Koen Pack is an international company that employs nearly 100 staff members.

The company has subsidiaries in the USA, Canada, Ecuador, Colombia and China and says its greatest strength is bespoke packaging solutions for its customers.

Koen Pack takes the environment and its responsibilities seriously, whether it concerns manufacturing sleeves, bags, gift boxes or decorations. A significant part of these are sold to auction-based wholesalers in Aalsmeer and Westland, then used to pack, protect and beautify the flowers and plants mainly destined for retailers across Europe.

Packaging consolidation

The consolidation of packaging companies is a hotly debated issue in the global ornamental horticulture industry. The market is increasingly dominated by big players such as Paardekooper Group (Dillewijn/Zwapak and Broekhof).

However, Koen Pack is certainly not a small company that should be overlooked. It compares itself with a speedboat navigating between mammoth tankers, manoeuvring, and adapting to changing business environments with agility and proactivity.

Sleeves serve for multiple tasks

In ornamental horticulture, millions of sleeves are used. These are primarily blank, unprinted and made in the Far East.

In the Netherlands alone, Koen Pack sells more than 200 million sleeves per year. Ultimately, the company aims to help customers enhance the visual appeal of their flowers and plants while also providing protection, convenience, quality and eco-friendliness.

Horticultural Sustainability Packaging Initiative (HSPI)

Koen Pack and eleven other horticultural suppliers are participating in HSPI (Horticultural Sustainability Packaging Initiative).

HSPI working groups focus on three themes: supply chain transparency, footprinting, and materials. This team effort should help the industry comply with EU legislation.

EU lawmakers have agreed to a new law. Its goal is for all packaging to be fully recyclable by 2030. The new agreement includes a reduction target, outlining that the portion of recycled material in plastic sleeves should be a minimum of 30 per cent.

The Dutch government aims for a 55 per cent reduction in CO₂ emissions by 2030 compared to 1990. So, Koen Pack has teamed up with Pickler to calculate the CO footprint of sleeve manufacturing and address the demand for science-based sustainability.

These calculations are shared with Koen Pack’s customers to help them comply with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Under CSRD, companies must publicly disclose environmental matters, including carbon emissions and biodiversity, and how they impact social factors such as human rights, working conditions, equality, and non-discrimination in the value chain. Approximately 130 factors must be checked and measured, which requires much paperwork.

Koen Pack’s ‘Bubblicious’ theme builds on the cocooning trend as seen in fashion and interior design.

Educating customers and consumers

Koen Pack believes informing customers about available choices is vital to achieving more sustainability. Logos and QR codes on sleeves can help educate consumers on which bin sleeves should be disposed of for recycling.

The Dutch waste industry is working hard on systems to turn waste back into raw material. Particularly in cardboard, a collection system exists to recycle collected cardboard into new boxes. Plastic waste can be collected in special bags and used to make new products.

Figure 1 comprehensively overviews the non-biodegradable, biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable properties of the different materials used in flower and plant sleeves.

Compendium of plastics

Plastic is not all the same. Koen Pack’s comprehensive compendium of plastics, as featured on the corporate website, provides customers guidance on the materials used and their recyclability and biodegradability.

In addressing the needs of its customers, the biggest portion of sold sleeves is still made of BOPP (recycled biaxially oriented polypropylene), some kind of polypropylene (PP), and virgin plastic.

Yet, Koen Pack’s account managers also propose alternatives such as sleeves made of rBOPP or rLDPE (recycled low-density polyethylene) with 80 per cent PCR (Post Consumer Recycled).

Suppliers in the Far East are increasingly incorporating recycled plastic into flower and plant sleeves. PCR is used to produce quality sleeves with no difference in clarity and strength.

Koen Pack’s product development department also investigates sustainability-driven product design, focusing on thinner sleeves without affecting quality. Where once the thickness was 40 mu, 35 mu is now the standard.

Another option is to use shorter sleeves that protect only the most important part of the bouquet. Potted plant growers also tend to wrap plastic or paper around the tray instead of individually sleeving their plants.

Bio-based plastics are not the single best solution

Bioplastics are often referenced as being bio-based, biodegradable, or both. Compostable plastics – a subset of biodegradable plastics – are believed to biodegrade under composting conditions, that is, at specific temperatures, humidity, and oxygen levels. See Koen Pack and Figure 1 for more information.

However, Koen Pack does not see bio-based plastics as the holy grail. The company explains that the lead time in composting installations is so short (between one to two weeks) that bio-based plastics do not qualify for this as they biodegrade too slowly in the installation, let alone in nature or on the streets.

Bio-based plastics are, therefore, not the single best answer to the environmental impact of plastic waste. Moreover, if bio-based plastics decay at all in a composting machine, they do not produce compost but disintegrate into water and CO2. In the best-case scenario, if fermented first, they produce a little energy. They also decay slowly on the compost heap at home or in the landfill.

Koen Pack’s key conclusion is that at the front end, things are going pretty well, as packaging companies use renewable raw materials. However, bio-based plastics should be thrown away with the residual waste downstream of the supply chain. On the other hand, power plants are happy with it because renewable materials such as PLA have a high energy value when burned. Koen Pack says plastic is not so bad as long as it is put in the correct bin, which allows recycling. The company is a strong advocate for recycling.

GOOD PACKAGING = SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING: 7 TIPS

1 Always prioritise the packaging’s functionality. The product almost always has a greater impact on the environment than the packaging itself. Good packaging protects the product against damage and deterioration and helps consumers get the maximum return from the product.

Intended effect: the valuable product is not lost.

2Avoid harmful substances in packaging. For example, avoid using inks with mineral oils and other harmful substances.

Intended effect: prevent hazardous substances from ending up in the living environment and (recycled) materials.

3 Be economical with materials. Use as little material as possible or ensure that the packaging can be reused. Also, ensure that as little material as possible is lost during production.

Intended effect: more efficient use of raw materials to limit the amount of waste.

4 Ensure a clean material flow that can be properly recycled. Where possible, use one material type per packaging component and ensure that consumers can easily separate the different components from each other. Also, consumers should be able to empty the packaging properly so that no product residues remain after use.

Intended effect: good separation and recycling of packaging waste, which yields raw materials for new packaging and products.

5 Use recycled or renewable raw materials where possible. This ensures that materials can be used for as long as possible and that fewer virgin materials are needed.

Intended effect: further closing the material chain.

6 When developing the packaging, consider efficient logistics. Provide as little void space in the transport units as possible so that transport costs as little energy per product. Design packaging that minimises the risk of product damage.

Intended effect: less energy consumption, pollution and product loss during transport.

7 Clearly communicate on the packaging how consumers can dispose of it. Make sure consumers know how to dispose of their packaging waste properly. You can use a disposal guide from the internet for this.

Intended effect: good waste separation by consumers makes it easier to reuse and recycle packaging waste.

This article was first published in the April 2025 issue of FloraCulture International.