1. AIPH
Spring Meeting
Noordwijk, Netherlands
1 – 4 April, 2019

2. The AIPH Sustainability Conference
Plastics in Ornamental Horticulture, Creating a Sustainable Supply Chain
2 April 2019, Noordwijk, the Netherlands

3. Plastics in the Retail Supply Chain: Plotting a Sustainable Future
Dr. David Bek
Reader in Sustainable Economies, Centre for Business in Society

4. Introduction
‘We reach for plastic unthinkingly, as postwar gardeners once reached for nicotine and DDT.’
Sally Nex, in Royal Horticultural Society magazine, ‘The Garden’, March 2019

5. Perspective: The Finite Earth

6. Visible from Space: Almeria’s Sea of Plastic

7. The Environmental Movement gains Momentum

8. The Brundtland Report 1987
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"

9. Sub heading 20pt

10. True Sustainability: the 3 Ps
Sustainability lies here

11. Sustainability – a view from South Africa

12. The Anthropocene: A Global Crisis
Soil, water, air…
Depletion & pollution
Climate change
1.5°C increase trajectory
Substantial changes in weather patterns

13. Plastics: The Human Touch
Plastics are everywhere!!
Clothes, cars, electronics, houses, appliances, cosmetics….
Packaging, construction, transportation, healthcare, electronics….
Inexpensive, lightweight, high-performing
Plastic production : 20x increase

14. Plastics and sustainability
First the good news!
Plastic packaging is lighter than alternative options so lower carbon footprint
And plastic food packaging increases product shelf-life so less food waste.
But…
Only 14% of plastic packaging is collected for recycling
95% of plastic packaging material value is lost after its first use.

15. Three dimensions of impact
Climate Change
The plastics industry uses about 6% of the world’s oil production – equivalent to the oil consumption of the global aviation sector.
In 2012 emissions from production and after-use pathways amounted to 390 million tonnes of C02.
Environmental Health
8 million tonnes of plastics leak into the ocean each year.
Cost of plastics to the tourism, fishing and shipping industries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) = $1.3 billion
Human Health
Plastics contain a blend of additives which can include impurities and contaminants.

16. Attitudinal Change
The Blue Planet Effect

17. Consumers European grocery shoppers:
73% of agree that grocery retailers use too much plastic in their packaging
64% think retailers should do more to educate consumers on why they use certain items in their packaging.
66% agree that it is appealing to shop with a grocery retailer which has pledged to cut down on plastic waste.
Source: Mintel 2018
In a UK Populus poll:
55% said they would choose to shop at a supermarket which does not over-package products.

18. Retailer Responses
UK – all retailers have adopted plastic reduction policies
Tesco, all packaging recyclable or compostable by 2025
Sainsburys, reduce own-brand packaging by 50% by 2020
South Africa – Woolworths has a suite of policies
All packaging to be either reusable or recyclable by 2022
Phase out single use plastic bags by 2020

19. Plastics in Horticulture
Plastics are integral to the horticultural supply chain from production through to consumption.
The ‘Sea of Plastic’
Pots, trays – the black plastic conundrum
million plastic pots go to landfill or incineration each year in the UK
Only 9 out of 75 UK councils offering proper recycling facilities.
But there are innovators pushing out solutions:
Non-black plastic pots
Biodegradable trays and packaging

20. Challenges Complicated! What can be recycled?
Can it be recycled efficiently?
Can it be recycled in your area?
Innovations do not always solve the bigger problems.
Some degradable plastics solve the disposal problem
BUT can create greater emissions and take a long time to break down
Consumers like idea of degradable pots
Consumers don’t like it when they break easily

21. New Plastics Economy
The 3 Rs
Reuse
Recycle
Renewable sources

22. Case study: Small Scale Flower Growers
Plastic usage
Sheeting
Polytunnels
Pots
Packaging
Wrapping

23. Innovations and responses
Biodegradable peat pots – cost??
Bulbs and seeds in cardboard and recyclable packaging
Biodegradable eco-wrap
Use of recycled plastic pots
Evidence of innovation and change
Response to market demands and awareness

24. Summary Plastics as a sustainability issue – 3Ps
Climate change/carbon footprint impacts have to be the priority
Consumers are broadly onside but can be fickle
The status quo is not acceptable – there has to be change.

25. Call to Action What are we doing at Coventry University?
Understanding consumers and their attitudes/responses to sustainability.
Bio-plastics (seaweed, cassava etc) – engaging with innovation technically and also in terms of the ‘real-world’ interface, will ideas actually work?
Supply chain waste management.

26. Call to Action What can you do?
As a producer, as an industry, as an individual.
Lobby
Engage
Trial, innovate
Adapt
Integrate sustainability into your business model
Ultimately, don’t worry too much about consumers, or even legislation. Do the right things and these will take care of themselves. Don’t get too distracted by small measures with little impact – it is the big stuff that matters.

27. Thank you