Floral Shipping Supplier Aims to Reduce Reliance on Plastic
April 6, 2023 FloraLife, a division of Smithers-Oasis Company, has redesigned its plastic containers to reduce plastic material in both its 5-gallon and truck kit containers.
The 5-gallon containers of FloraLife Flower Foods now feature a new, reduced-plastic lid. The lid was also redesigned with a convenient pull tab that can be easily removed without damage to the container, allowing for the 5-gallon bucket containers to now be re-used by wholesalers and florists for flower storage or other uses.
EthylBloc truck kits, which are typically used in truck trailers, sea freight containers, coolers, and greenhouses, have been condensed in size, reducing plastic by more than 10%. The kits include the same technology, a water-soluble, pre-measured packet of EthlyBloc and a buffer mixing solution that when combined, releases for a slow and constant exposure to the fresh cut flowers or plants. Because of the smaller size, more truck kits can fit on a pallet, thus reducing freight emissions by as much as 20%.
“Not only was FloraLife able to reduce the plastic content in our 5-gallon buckets, but we were also able to make them reusable, which is handy for florists and supports our reuse principle,” says Mark Allen, Global Product and Sustainability Manager at FloraLife. “Reducing the size and amount of plastic used in the truck kit containers provides a decrease of more than 1,500 pounds of plastic each year.”
This initiative to reduce the plastic in these FloraLife containers supports the sustainable packaging commitment that FloraLife outlined in its 2025 Sustainability Plan. The sustainability initiative is the company’s long-term plan targeted for 2025 that implements the reduce, re-use, recycle, and respect principles in five commitment areas: climate change, water stewardship, product portfolio, sustainable packaging, and stakeholder awareness.
“We are looking at all of our product line’s packaging with magnifying glasses and have been making changes wherever possible,” Allen says. “Plastic use has been a big focus area of improvement and we are pleased at these changes that we have implemented.”
For more information on FloraLife’s sustainability initiatives, contact Allen at [email protected] or click here.
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