More and more businesses and organizations within the greenhouse horticulture sector are now calculating their environmental footprint, whether at the company or product level. KAS Magazine recently connected with three collectives from the vegetable and ornamental plant sectors, all working closely with Greenhouse Sustainability, to hear about their experiences. We're highlighting each one, and this time, it's Zentoo.

Zentoo is a dynamic collective comprising 14 dedicated chrysanthemum growers. While each grower maintains their own distinct production facilities, they share invaluable knowledge and collaboratively market their chrysanthemums under the unified Zentoo brand name. "We aspire to be a leading group of growers, consistently pursuing the highest quality, with sustainability firmly embedded as a core value," states Rob van den Broek, Zentoo's Quality Manager, who has also been at the helm of their sustainability initiatives for several years. "As an ornamental horticulture chain, our ambition is to become significantly greener, though we acknowledge the journey still presents numerous challenges. Therefore, Zentoo is committed to meticulously mapping out the environmental impact of each individual location and pinpointing areas where we can enhance our performance. We understand that energy is a major impact category, but our focus extends to how we can reduce consumption and operate with maximum efficiency across every aspect of our operations. Fortunately, we're observing growing momentum in this regard. For instance, our growers are actively investing in solar panels, geothermal energy, heat pumps, and battery storage solutions. Every single grower is deeply engaged in their own unique way."

Some time ago, Zentoo conducted an initial pilot for footprinting, but that was prior to the official introduction of the FloriPEFCR, the new European standard. Now, Zentoo is seriously committing to calculating its comprehensive footprint. "If you intend to remain a viable business in the long term, sustainable practices are simply essential," emphasizes Van den Broek. "With the aid of an in-depth footprint analysis, we aim to gain crucial insights into the environmental impact of our 23 production locations. This robust analysis encompasses 16 distinct components, including CO2 emissions, water consumption, and ecotoxicity. This comprehensive approach empowers us to precisely calculate the sustainable strides we've already made and identify where further improvements are possible."

Implementing Targeted Steps
Greenhouse Sustainability is actively supporting Zentoo in both the collection and expert interpretation of all relevant data. Furthermore, Van den Broek notes that the footprint will be calculated retrospectively for the past five years. "By rigorously comparing different locations and assessing the effectiveness of various sustainable innovations, we can collectively implement highly targeted steps toward even greener chrysanthemum cultivation. We firmly believe that truly understanding our impact is the critical first step toward meaningful change. By vividly visualizing our environmental footprint, we are actively establishing a strong foundation for continuous improvements and vital innovations within our sector. This powerful collaboration is bringing us ever closer to a truly transparent and future-proof horticulture industry."