This is THE CHALLENGE for the next generation

'Grodan is a global company. We currently have a 'recycling rate' of almost 100% in Western Europe, where our Products are given a second life in the form of bricks. In North America, we send almost 10,000 tonnes to composting facilities every year. Our NWE recycling programme, where we convert residual products into bricks in the EU is an extraordinary success with almost 100% participation and reuse of our products. I think one of the reasons this is so successful is that all the major co-players in the horticultural sector are working together in this programme. Roles are played by all kinds of parties, including Grodan as the producer of growing media, growers, recyclers, brick manufacturers as buyers of renewed products and legislators. They all work together and provide the means to set up a sustainable recycling cycle.'

'In North America, logistics is our biggest challenge. There is no 'one size fits all' solution. Because we work in a very large region, we have adopted a regional or local approach. This means we identify stakeholders in our largest markets, and work with them to bring recycling platforms together. Each market differs in size, stakeholders and demand, and therefore each area is unique with its own challenges.'

'Currently, Grodan's European production facilities are working on several tests to determine how best to reuse our stone wool substrates. Within Grodan's R&D (research and development) department, we are working on some very innovative projects. One of these is a 'take back' pilot in plants in Europe.This involves Grodan testing quality specifications of used materials to be reused as animal feed, supplemented with other raw materials. When completed, the project will offer a fully circular ('crade to cradle') approach to EOL.'

'The circular economy is a way of doing business in which every link in the chain of a product is connected. So all stakeholders have to participate, cooperate, and provide resources to make the system work. This means that this model is sensitive to shifts in the market and in demand. If one of the links breaks, the whole infrastructure can fall apart.

'That is exactly what happened a few years ago in the commercial and public recycling industry. The US and EU relied on sending large quantities of low-value (mixed) plastic to countries in Asia. In response, China came up with a ban on the import of those materials, what they called the "National Sword". Other countries in East Asia quickly followed suit, and the EOL sector faced a new challenge: large quantities of low-value Products remained and no countries wanted them - the market was completely saturated.

'I believe the greenhouse industry will shift its focus to the impact on local ecosystems. 'Closed loop' irrigation, reuse systems and biological treatments will become crucial to prevent water and nutrient leakage into these systems. Ecosystems will reuse water resources, prevent eutrophication, and protect aquatic biodiversity. At the same time, the reduction in the use of fertilisers will ensure that the sector has a smaller impact on the environment by reducing nitrogen emissions (N₂O, NH₃, NO_X).  Growing media such as stone wool will play a crucial role in successfully creating such 'closed loop' systems.

'The reality is that we will face several challenges in 2050 that we need to prepare for today. Global population growth (9.8 billion according to a UN estimate) and increasing migration to cities (70% of the world's population by 2030) will put pressure on demand for goods, food and water. As the amount of fertile land decreases and water becomes scarcer, it means fewer resources are available to meet these challenges. At Grodan, we believe this is the challenge for future generations, and we want to help find a solution to this challenge. That is why we place emphasis on technologies to conserve water and sustainable growing methods.'

Read more about our recycling programme here.