For a long time, many florists have looked at transport packaging and load carriers as something that simply comes with the supply chain. Flowers arrive how they arrive. Buckets, boxes, sleeves, trolleys, cardboard, labels, tape, and waste all seem to be part of the deal. But that way of thinking is getting old fast. What became clear in the conversation with Bob IJpelaar, Managing Director of Van Vliet containers and its development branch Newwen, is that a lot of better solutions are already here. The real questions are when the market is ready to use them and whether florists are ready to start asking for them from their wholesale suppliers.
That matters because the whole market and supply chain are changing. Sustainability rules are not future fiction; they are already here. Pressure on packaging is increasing, and larger retail chains are already testing more reusable systems. Meanwhile, too many florists still depend on whatever their supplier or wholesaler decides to send. If the florist does not ask questions, nothing changes.
Here's a story about very interesting logistical solutions offered by Van Vliet and Newwen to help the whole industry on its way.
Florists Are Closer to This Shift Than They May Think
It is easy for an independent florist to think that reusable transport solutions, pool systems, RFID chips, or smarter display logistics are topics for exporters, supermarkets, or auction platforms. But that is too narrow. Florists are part of the same chain, and they are the ones handling the final commercial presentation. They see the waste. They deal with unpacking. They work around damaged packaging. They manage buckets, displays, and temporary storage every single day. So when the chain becomes more efficient, more reusable, and less dependent on disposable materials, florists benefit directly.
IJpelaar makes the point that many florists still follow the flow rather than help shape it. They look at the wholesaler, the wholesaler looks at the auction, and everyone waits for someone else to move first. But with new sustainability expectations on the horizon, that passive approach won't help much longer. In his words:
"The florist looks at the auction. Everyone looks around. And that is the problem now. Everyone just keeps working in that old-fashioned way. But legislation is coming. You can't stop that. This isn't something made up, something from a game. This will soon be law. By 2030, everything must be recyclable. That's the challenge for now."
Platform for Florists: Horti Direct
Bob invites florists to take a look at their platform, Horti Direct, to see what's already there. Horti Direct.com is a webshop to efficiently serve the smaller needs of florists and small retailers. Not only in shop layout, but also in efficiency and sustainability.
What Van Vliet Containers and Newwen Are Actually Offering
Van Vliet is still strongly connected to the traditional floriculture world of Danish trolleys (often called DCs or CCs) and trolley shelves (for rent or sale). And the associated pool management, maintenance, and replacement. That part of the business is familiar to the market. But the company has moved much further than that. Alongside Van Vliet, Newwen focuses on future-oriented systems: reusable packaging, sustainable transport items, improved display concepts, smarter handling units, and logistics tools built for a chain that needs to use less one-way material.
For florists, that means this is not just a story about a cart supplier. It is about practical tools that can reduce packaging waste, improve shop presentation, and make transport more reusable from the start. In the interview, several examples come up: foldable reusable boxes, flower containers with tracking chips, trolley-based retail displays, upgraded Danish cart systems, and alternatives designed to work better in a more circular process.
Some of these systems are already used by bigger chains and supermarket programs. That should not make florists think they are out of reach. It should do the opposite. It should show that the solutions exist and can be adapted when there is enough demand from the market. As IJpelaar says:
"You do not have to be one of the big players to gain just as much information, knowledge, and expertise as they have."
"Stop Treating Waste as Normal!"
One of the strongest parts of the conversation is the simple way IJpelaar talks about waste. Too many flowers and plants are still being moved in disposable packaging, often with one-way buckets, cardboard, tape, labels, and extra handling at every step. That may look normal because the sector has worked that way for years, but normal does not mean efficient.
Florists know this better than most. They unpack, sort, throw away, clean up, and try to make the end result look smooth for the customer. All of that hidden labor adds up. When a reusable system comes in that is cleaner, easier to handle, and built for multiple rounds, it changes more than just the environmental side. It changes the workflow inside the shop. IJpelaar frames the ambition in a direct way:
"We are aiming for an environment without packaging. That is the black-and-white way to put it."
That is why florists should start asking suppliers more direct questions. Can these flowers come in a reusable box instead of a disposable one? Is there a transport option that creates less waste in-store? Is there a returnable display format that saves time on presentation? Are there better bucket or carrier systems already being used elsewhere in the chain? These are not abstract questions anymore. They are practical ones.
Sustainability Does Not Have to Mean Higher Cost
A lot of smaller businesses hear the word sustainability and immediately think extra cost. IJpelaar pushes back on that idea throughout the conversation. His message is that good reusable systems do not automatically cost more in the full picture. In some cases, they save money because they can be used again and again, repaired when needed, and reduce spending on packaging materials and related handling.
He gives the example of a florist in England already working with reusable transport boxes that move between the florist and the exporter. Those boxes are reused many times and even repaired. On top of that, there are savings in stickers, labels, and repeated packaging costs, because all the information is connected to the built-in RFID chip and can be used in all parts of the supply chain.
That kind of case is important because it brings the conversation back to something florists understand immediately: if a solution is better for workflow and makes financial sense, then it deserves attention. Or, as Bob IJpelaar claims:
"Handling the environment responsibly does not automatically mean it will cost you more. In the end, when well-integrated into your business, it will even cost you less."
For florists, the takeaway is simple. Do not dismiss a reusable system just because it looks different from the standard box or bucket you are used to. Ask what it replaces. Ask how many times it can be used. Ask what it saves in labor, waste, presentation, and repeated buying of disposable materials.
What Is an RFID Chip?
An RFID chip is a tiny microchip used in radio-frequency identification systems to store a small amount of data and send it wirelessly to a reader using radio waves. The chip is usually part of an RFID tag, which also includes an antenna and a backing material; the reader sends a radio signal, the tag’s antenna receives energy, and the chip responds with its stored information. RFID chips are found in access cards, contactless payment cards, library tags, pet microchips, and e-passports, and (as you can read in this article) also in logistical labels and packaging materials.
The Florist Has More Influence Than It Seems
There is a tendency in floriculture to think that change only starts at the top of the chain. But florists have influence too, especially when many of them begin asking the same thing. If wholesalers hear from florists that they want reusable transport, better display-ready carriers, less cardboard, and less throwaway material, those questions start to move upstream. That is how market habits begin to shift.
IJpelaar says clearly that one of the difficulties is simply reaching florists and smaller players. According to the website CompanyData, there are 108,741 businesses classified as 'florist' across Europe and 78,666 in the USA. However, only a small percentage are actively engaging with these greener systems. That is not because the options are not there. It is often because awareness is low and the old routine keeps running.
That is exactly why this topic matters now. The florist does not need to wait until legislation lands at full force. The florist can start the conversation earlier. Ask the wholesaler what reusable options are available. Ask how transport can come with less waste. Ask whether display units can arrive in formats that work directly on the shop floor. Ask whether there are trials you can join. Ask whether there are collectives or supply partners already testing circular systems.
Newwen Is About the Next Step
In the interview, IJpelaar describes Newwen as the part of the company focused on tomorrow. That is worth noting because florists often associate companies like Van Vliet only with traditional trolley logistics. But Newwen is meant to show that the next step is already being built: more circular systems, more reusable packaging, more efficient retail support, and more awareness of what sustainability in the chain can look like in real life.
For florists, that makes Newwen relevant not because every shop suddenly needs advanced technology, but because it represents a mindset shift. IJpelaar says:
"The idea is that packaging, transport, retail presentation, and waste reduction should be looked at together, not as separate little problems. The more connected that thinking becomes, the easier it is for flower shops to work smarter."
For Your Agenda: The Sustainability Days
Van Vliet and Newwen will be organizing the Sustainability Days soon. Everyone is welcome to come and see what is happening in the field of sustainable logistics. The date is not fixed yet, but it will be right after the summer. Stay posted on the websites of Van Vliet and Newwen.
The Time to Ask Is Now
Florists do not have to become logistics specialists overnight. They do not have to replace everything at once. But they do need to stop assuming that disposable packaging and old habits are the only workable options. Better solutions already exist in the market. Van Vliet Containers and Newwen are showing that there are reusable, repairable, and more efficient ways to move flowers through the chain and into the shop.
So maybe the next step is not to wait for the whole market to change first. Maybe the next step is simply to start asking better questions. Ask what your supplier can do differently. Ask what is available beyond the standard box. Ask what returnable systems are already being used by bigger players. Ask what can reduce waste in your store. Ask what will still make sense as the legislation on 100% sustainable packaging in 2030 comes closer. That is where change begins.
