In the horticulture and floriculture sector, the focus on packaging solutions that comply with evolving regulations and are capable of reducing resource use without compromising production efficiency is now a given. ILIP’s HortiPack range responds to this trend with a range of technical products made from recycled PET, designed for professional nurseries.
In horticulture, sustainability is not just about plants, growing media or water management. It also extends to elements that may seem incidental but are central to day-to-day production: packs, propagation trays, pot and plant trays, pot holders and growing pots. These are tools that accompany plants through the stages of growth, handling and transport and which, precisely because of their widespread use, can have a significant impact on the efficiency of the supply chain and the overall environmental footprint. The HortiPack range comprises technical solutions designed to improve performance at every stage. The products have been designed to be compatible with end-of-life PET recycling processes (provided they are collected and channelled into the appropriate streams) without compromising their performance. The packaging solutions, available for both manual handling and use on mechanised lines, help to reduce operational inefficiencies such as machine downtime, difficulties in destacking and sub-optimal logistics management.
One of the distinctive features of the range is the use of R-PET, which contains up to 80–90% recycled material. This approach reduces the use of virgin raw materials whilst maintaining the performance standards required by professional nurseries. The theme of circularity is reinforced by ILIP’s membership of the ILPA Group, which vertically manages the entire post-consumer PET recycling process: from material recovery to extrusion, right through to transformation into new packaging solutions. HortiPack products made from R-PET are in fact produced from post-consumer materials, sourced from food containers and milk bottles. The extrusion of plastics of various colours yields a grey secondary raw material, the origin of which ILIP is able to trace and whose quality it guarantees.
One of the distinctive features of the range is the use of R-PET with a certified recycled content. This choice makes it possible to reduce the use of virgin raw materials, whilst maintaining the performance standards required by professional nurseries. The theme of circularity is reinforced by ILIP’s membership of the ILPA Group, which vertically manages the entire post-consumer PET recycling process: from material recovery to extrusion, right through to transformation into new solutions. HortiPack products made from R-PET are in fact manufactured from post-consumer materials, sourced from food containers and milk bottles. The extrusion of plastics of various colours yields a grey secondary raw material, the origin of which ILIP is able to trace and whose quality it guarantees.
Thanks to an advanced recycling plant and an annual capacity of around 60,000 tonnes of PET, ILIP and the ILPA Group are helping to develop solutions for the sector that use recycled PET and promote the recovery of end-of-life material, in line with Italian and European targets for the recycling of plastic packaging.
The latest HortiPack innovations make this approach even more tangible. The eco-hobby packs, available with 1, 4, 6 or 12 compartments, have been designed to have a smaller capacity than standard packs to help reduce peat consumption, generating a dual benefit: lower material usage and cost savings. The new Ø10 cm and Ø14 cm growing pots in anthracite R-PET, on the other hand, are manufactured without the addition of masterbatch: the colour derives directly from the recycled material and blocks the passage of light. The pots retain the dimensions and volume of standard models available on the market, but stand out for their numerous drainage holes, rapid machine destacking and recyclability in the PET stream at the end of their life.
Rounding off HortiPack’s range of innovative products is a line of R-PET pot holders designed for succulents and micro-pots, suitable for pots ranging from 3.5 cm to 8 cm in diameter and available in two sizes: 39×28 cm and 28×25 cm. Designed to meet the needs of cultivations of micro plants, these pot holders retain the same technical characteristics as the rest of the range, offering a functional and efficient solution for the handling and management of plants throughout the various stages of production.
In a sector called upon to combine production quality, efficiency and compliance with increasingly stringent environmental regulations, HortiPack offers a new generation of supports for professional nurseries: technical solutions that integrate recycled material, operational functionality and a more efficient use of resources. This evolution has a tangible impact on the daily lives of nursery growers and demonstrates how packs, pots, and trays can contribute to the development of circular, efficient and sustainable production models throughout the entire cultivation process.
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