> INDUSTRY INNOVATORS
INNOVATIONS IN SUSTAINABILITY
Mark Allen Global Product and Sustainability Manager, FloraLife, a division of Smithers-Oasis Company
In his words: “When it comes to sustainability, it should be the industry’s plan [in which] we’re all working together in the right direction. We need more collaboration and integration within the industry to build more sustainable practices.”
Innovation As the global product and sustainabil- ity manager, Mark Allen is the person behind FloraLife’s sustainability efforts. Under his guidance, FloraLife has made changes to reduce plastic and water use, rethink paper consumption, and become carbon neutral. His work has helped the company support fair trade and respon- sible foresting initiatives and resulted in new innovations in packaging. FloraLife recently launched
new 5-gallon buckets that use less plastic and are reusable. Additionally, FloraLife’s EthylBloc™ truck kits, which are typically used in truck trailers, sea freight containers,
SMART SUSTAINABILITY Mark Allen, global product and sustainability manager at FloraLife, has worked to reduce the amount of plastics in the company’s products.
coolers, and greenhouses, were rede- signed to be smaller, reducing the amount of plastic needed by more than 10 percent, Allen says. The company also introduced recyclable, all-poly- propylene plastic flower food packets, which differ from the traditional nonre- cyclable flower food packets made of mixed plastic laminate.
Motivation Global recognition, particularly in Europe, for reduced plastic usage and improved sustain- ability practices in the industry are huge motivators, Allen says. There’s also a push for sustain- ability from other supply chain stakeholders, specifically super- markets, he adds. The company’s recent inno-
vations are part of a 2018 initiative to respond to consumer aware- ness about taking care of the planet. After taking part in a sustainability program at Cambridge University, Allen
26 FLORAL MANAGEMENT | July/August 2023 |
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spearheaded FloraLife’s five-year sus- tainability plan to implement the reduce, reuse, recycle and respect principles in the areas of climate change, water stew- ardship, product portfolio, packaging, and stakeholder awareness.
Challenge Getting started was a “nightmare,” Allen says, because he had a long list of ideas, and it was hard to know where to start. Ultimately, he sought to “understand the challenges the world is facing and then make the right steps in the right direction.”
Future Evolution The company’s five-year sustainability plan will be renewed for 2030, Allen says. “We want to include a lot more of the social side,” he says. “A lot of people don’t wake up and think, ‘How can I save the planet?’ The culture needed to shift for that to happen and for everyone to get involved so we can hear loads of ideas.”
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