Our way to sustainability

Consumers are increasingly consciously choosing fair trade products. This is not only happening with clothing and food, even within the ornamental industry (flowers, plants and decorative greenery) people have been choosing more "consciously" for years. The demand for sustainability is therefore increasing. WBE cannot stay behind in this and has taken a prominent role in this area. 

WBE works with a number of suppliers/growers to achieve a wide range of fair and sustainable diverse products. It also works with colleagues in the ornamental horticulture sector to structurally improve certification schemes, especially in the field of wild-picking products (such as Salal, Beregras, Chico, Pistache, Coral, Moss, etc.) Because Green is not only the basis of a bouquet, but also of the road to it.

MPS

As a wholesaler, WBE can live up to sustainability through various certifications. We have been working on this for some time. These certificates show that products are sustainable. MPS, (Global) GAP, Rainforest Alliance are common certifications in the field of sustainability in the floriculture sector.

WBE has been an Affiliate Member of MPS for many years, giving it access to the MPS-Trade Portal, where up-to-date certificate summaries by grower are visible. 

From previous MPS Good Trade Practice certification, we have recently obtained Chain of Custody (CoC) certification. This allows us as a trader to guarantee that products supplied by us are certified with the Global GAP or MPS GAP certificate and that the chain can be traced all the way back to where the products are grown/produced.

Currently, WBE already offers a wide range of products from certified suppliers from the Netherlands and the rest of the world. In our webshop you can easily and quickly filter by the different certificates.

FSI 2025

In October 2020, WBE became a member of FSI2020; FSI stands for Floriculture Sustainability Initiative. This is a sector-wide initiative within the floriculture sector to jointly address social, environmental and economic bottlenecks. The aim is to achieve 90% responsibly produced and traded volumes, reduction of CO2 footprint, equality of disposable wages and transparent reporting.

In 2020, we built on what has already been achieved and set more stringent sustainability goals under FSI 2025, based on 3 pillars:

🌿 responsible production and trade

🌿 responsible behaviour;

🌿 integrated reporting.

The premise is that FSI 2025 is transparent with respect to the criteria, complies with accepted standards and is based on responsible sources. In practice, a basket of international certifications must be met, such as Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), environmental requirements and social requirements in case product comes from high-risk country (e.g. Guatemala). WBE uses Floridata's Sustainable Sourcing Scan to scan, analyze and monitor sourcing data for FSI 2025 sustainability requirements.

BIGSMILE

In line with applicable laws and regulations, we are working with BigMile to establish a baseline for WBE's CO2 emissions for the year 2023. Based on the results, WBE will set realistic targets to further reduce total CO2 emissions.

WBE for society

And not only sustainability is incredibly important to WBE. Within the company there is a lot of attention to corporate social responsibility. For example, WBE feels closely involved in the countries and regions where our suppliers are located and we support a number of excellent local initiatives there.  

Giving back where necessary

Guatemala is an important country for WBE when it comes to importing various types of cut greens. Not surprisingly, WBE also wants to do something in return. In Guatemala, various local initiatives are supported in the area of practical training and scholarships for young people. 

MVO Westland

In Westland, we are working with MVO Westland, a network of and for inclusive entrepreneurs in Westland. We fully agree that as an employer you can make a difference by offering opportunities to all job seekers. 

Heart for the club!

In our own country, we have long been supporters and sponsors of various local sports associations and charities. You can see our logo and name on various sports fields. For example, at soccer club Rijnsburgse Boys where we have been the main sponsor for more than 15 years, but also for example at the youth of 's-Gravenzande, where we make sure everyone looks good. 

Other goals

But national charities are also important in our eyes. For example, WBE is pleased to associate itself with the Family House Daniel den Hoed. The Daniel den Hoed Family House enables cancer patients and family members to be close to each other during the difficult period of illness and treatment. The house offers a warm place to stay close to the hospital and guests experience support from peers and volunteers. The Family House receives no government subsidies or financial support from the hospital and depends on gifts and donations. It is run by a small paid staff and a large group of volunteers, together they provide a warm, temporary second home 365 days a year. It has also supported KWF on a monthly basis for many years. 

Through our products, WBE is involved in several causes. For example, we have had a close collaboration with the Lentiz College for several years now. WBE values to support the students of the MBO Flower & Design course during projects, such as their assignment for the Rijksmuseum. This way the students get to know our extensive assortment of cut greens.

In addition, our cut greens can be admired annually during the Varend Corso and the Flowerparade. Both are important regional events where our beautiful floriculture industry is in the spotlight, and we believe that our cut greens should not be missing there.

Smaller activities are also supported annually by WBE. More information about the different activities, charities and sports associations we like to share with you on our Social Media channels. So be sure to take a look here!