The importance of bees and butterflies for flowers, plants and people has become clear to most people thanks to the actions of environmental and animal organizations. Now that Waterdrinker has access to pieces of "garden" at the Green Trade Center, we also want to improve the environment around our company for these beautiful and important animals. That is why a "bee (and butterfly) friendly" garden was planted last week.
The fact that we worked here with plants and flowers from our own suppliers actually makes the story even better. Not only do we do something for nature, we also give growers and suppliers who grow "safe and fair" a way to promote these products. The Campanula from Addenda, Lavendula from Salm Boskoop and flower seeds from Veer & Moon are a number of examples that can be sold with confidence at the florist and in the garden center. The bee hotel, made by the Mini Manna Foundation and Stadskamer Foundation, offers a hiding place for bees and a meaningful day for the creators, people with a disability or work limitation.
Of course, the creation of this garden is a nice initiative, but the Waterdrinker management is aware that more is needed to make the sector more sustainable. That is why we signed the memorandum “ambition and plan of approach for sustainable use of resources in floriculture” in February 2016, together with 9 large garden retail organizations, Nature & Environment, CLM, Garden branch Nederland and several chain parties such as LTO trees and perennials and SMK. This plan focuses, among other things, on integrated crop protection, innovation, phased prohibition of harmful substances and stimulation of strong crops. A (follow-up) study by Greenpeace showed that in 2017 there was already a progress in reducing bee-unfriendly plant protection products on garden plants at garden centers (and therefore their suppliers). To maintain this line, Waterdrinker's quality & CSR manager takes part in the working group that has since written version 3.0 of the this ambition.
Concerning the garden, this spring planters will be placed at the main entrance where the same products are used. A bright entrance for our employees and visitors and for the butterflies and bees. This fits in beautifully with our ambition: a happy and healthy living environment with flowers and plants!
