A tray washer ensures reuse of propagation trays. LED lights and new curtains save energy and the proportion of sphagnum in the growing medium decreases. Step by step, PKM is increasing the sustainability of production.

The founder of pot plant nursery PKM A/S in Odense, Poul Madsen, had a motto that is well known in horticultural circles: “Never finished – always on the way.” This is perhaps more relevant now than ever, and is certainly indicative of the nursery’s relentless efforts to promote sustainability in the company at all levels.

I think we’ve done a lot and I can clearly see that sustainability is a theme that matters to our customers. When we can talk about our initiatives and achievements, it’s as if the price moves a little further down the agenda, says Claes Bastrup, Sales Manager at PKM.

For PKM, as for the horticultural sector in general, one of the biggest challenges is that sustainability work is so difficult to make visible to the public. And perhaps that’s exactly what the horticultural industry needs right now. Floradania Marketing tried to kick it off at the Potted Plant Trade Fair in August with a themed exhibition and open nurseries. But it died a little in all the activities. Now new forces have been brought in and we expect good things to happen in the time to come. We’ve lost if the conclusion is that we’ve tried that and it didn’t go so well. It’s important that the industry puts some effort into this. If we want to hold on to Danish horticultural production, we need to talk about everything we do and everything we’re good at. Unfortunately, we’re not very good at that yet,” says Claes Bastrup.

From wind turbines to potted plants

PKM trades with the largest retail chains in Europe, and working with sustainability is a crucial sales parameter that requires insight and knowledge on both sides of the table. That’s why the position of Quality and Environment Manager was created seven years ago – first with Alice Sørensen and for the past three years with Merih G. Tesfamicael – and it has made a big difference.

Many customers ask for information on everything from sphagnum to plastic. Everything that a salesperson like me can’t relate to. That’s why it’s really valuable that we have a “geek” who can communicate with quality managers at the other end. Having someone as knowledgeable as Merih to draw on gives us advantages and leverage points, says Claes Bastrup.

Merih G. Tesfamicael is a production engineer by training and has previously worked with everything from wind turbines to printing machines.

I had never even considered the horticulture industry until I came across a job advertisement and visited PKM, where I discovered that horticulture is essentially a manufacturing business – and a fascinating one at that, says Merih G. Tesfamicael.

450,000 times recycling

Today, the production engineer is like a fish out of water in the nursery, proudly showing off some of the latest environmental initiatives that have moved production in a sustainable direction.

The first stop on the tour is an almost two-year-old tray washer purchased for DKK 1.5 million immediately after the corona and energy crisis.

In the old days, the propagation trays were only used once. In January 2018, in collaboration with Modiform, we switched to sending them back for recycling. But with the tray washer, we can use the same trays again and again. We had estimated 8-10 times, but we are way past that.

Energy optimization and CO2 savings

Another area where PKM has managed to take a big step towards sustainability is the energy savings achieved, which can be felt in the carbon footprint the company leaves behind.

In collaboration with Lillegaard Teknik, we have carried out calculations that show a reduced carbon footprint from our heat and electricity consumption of 63 percent from 2005 to 2023, says a clearly proud Merih G. Tesfamicael, who explains that the savings are due to several different factors: more green energy, investment in flow-controlled artificial lighting control and an increased focus internally, which means that employees have become more aware of reducing energy consumption whenever possible.

Still on the way

Even greater energy savings are within reach as PKM is investing heavily in replacing HPS lamps with LED lamps in 70,000 m2 of greenhouses and in many places installing more heat-saving curtains.

All in all, we are approaching 70 percent less carbon footprint, even if we only count from 2005, emphasizes Merih G. Tesfamicael.

The list of initiatives that play a role in PKM’s sustainability work is long. The proportion of sphagnum in the growing medium has been reduced from 85 to 70 percent and is fast approaching 50 percent. The nursery participates in a number of projects, including Optipotte, which aims to reduce pesticide consumption in nurseries. In addition, the nursery’s breeding department is working hard to develop new varieties with a focus on health and natural compactness to further reduce the need for chemical additives.

Here at PKM, we believe in taking the process towards sustainability step by step. We don’t rush it, because we don’t want to end up with half-baked plants. But the hardest part remains communication. We and Danish Horticulture in general do so much, but as an industry we have not managed to reach consumers with all the good stories. It’s crucial that we get rid of prejudices about the horticultural industry, and the best way to do that is with information. At PKM, we have decided to get better at communicating about our development so far and the journey ahead. We hope that others in the industry will do the same, says Claes Bastrup.