Translations

CLAYRTON'S uses water-based ink and biodegradable plastic paper

4. Environment

Green design

Sector Industry

Year 2016

Country France

Transmitter

Context

The products and accessories florists can choose between to wrap flowers have a very limited life cycle and are often made with harmful substances. Clayrton decided to do something as for climate change and resource depletion, and embarked on an environmental audit in 2007.

Objectives

- Creating an harmony between the flowers’ life cycle and an ecologic packaging

- Preserving the environment and its resources

- Reducing the use of harmful substances.

APPROACH

A sustainable development approach has been implemented in association with Alliances pour la RSE, in partnership with the innovation cluster MAUD (Matériaux à Usage Domestique) ; an ecology engineer from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Grand Lille worked with Clayrton’s.

The company implemented a printing, water-based ink process on biodegradable polypropylene. The technique must make the flowers’ wetness compatible with ink stability. The plastic being used for the wrapping sheets and pot covers is « oxo-bidegradable »; it means it can decompose within less than 2 years, converting itself into biodegradable residue balls.The company reduces its impact on the environment in all the fields of its industry:

- Products: 100% kraft paper and tissue-papers comes from managed forests ; 100% chucks come from companies with an iso 9001 standard
- Catalogues: 100% are printed on recycled paper with 100% water-based ink
- Energy, transport: contract with EDF for 100% renewable energy ; the sales representatives drive eco-labeled vehicles ; 21% transport is rail transport ; 70% transport in France
- Pedagogy for the consumers: information provided on the labels

Clayrton’s has been training drug addicts to be florists since 2003, in partnership with le Relais.