Roermond, The Netherlands, 21 April 2007

First substrate producer with EU Ecolabel

Grodan awarded European Ecolabel  
 
Grodan, supplier of innovative substrate solutions for the greenhouse industry, is the first substrate producer that has been rewarded with the European Ecolabel: the environmental quality mark of the European Union for non-food products and services. The fact that Grodan’s blocks and slabs have been awarded this quality mark once again demonstrates that Grodan considers sustainable business practices to be very important and that its substrate solutions comply with the most stringent environmental criteria. These certified products can be recognised by the ‘EU flower’ logo.


             
  Mrs Regien van der Sijp (SMK) and Mr. Kees Struijk (Grodan)

The European Ecolabel was formed by the European Union in 1992 to encourage manufacturers to produce environmentally friendly products and to enable buyers to make conscious and reliable decisions in terms of the environment. To that end, the organisation developed a broad range of criteria for many products and services. The criteria for growing media were recently revised and expanded so they now also apply to products based on inorganic material such as mineral wool.

The criteria that apply to the origin of mineral ingredients are strict. For example, they may not come from nature reserves or protected areas. Additional aspects considered include energy and water conservation and the reduction of soil, air and water contamination during production. The recycling of inorganic growing media is also considered. In addition to environmental criteria, the products also have to comply with quality criteria. In other words, the European Ecolabel guarantees buyers that these products comply with both environmental and quality standards. It therefore demonstrates that quality and environmentally responsible business practices can go together very well.

Mrs. Regien van der Sijp, Managing Director at SMK, the organisation which helped formulate the criteria for the European Ecolabel and which represents the environmental quality mark in the Netherlands, is pleased with the certification awarded to Grodan: “When a leading player in the horticultural sector such as Grodan succeeds in obtaining the European Ecolabel certification for its products, it has a significant impact, not only on the horticultural sector but also on a larger scale. It will encourage other parties to also make an effort to have their products certified and that, of course, is good for the environment.”

Maurice Husson, Managing Director of the Grodan Group, is proud of the certification of Grodan’s products. “For years now, we have focused on three core themes in order to achieve optimum results: People, Planet and Profit. In other words, we aim to run our company in such a way that we can balance business interests with the interests of people and the environment. Everything we do is based on this. As a result, we have succeeded in obtaining a series of certifications over the years, including ISO 14001, ISO 9001:2000 and the KIWA product certificate. In my view, the European Ecolabel is again a confirmation of how we want to do business.

Information on Ecolabel:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/index_en.htm

Corporate information:

Grodan, established in 1969, is active in more than 40 countries. The head office is located in Roermond, the Netherlands. Grodan supplies the greenhouse industry with innovative solutions for the cultivation of various crops. These solutions are based on substrates which are clean and easily steerable in combination with advice and support. The substrates provided by Grodan are the alternative for soil in the professional horticultural sector. Cultivation with these substrates is not only better for the environment and more easily steered and controlled, it also results in higher yields, improved quality and savings in terms of fertilizers, water and energy. These solutions are used in particular for the cultivation of vegetables and flowers, including tomato, cucumber, sweet pepper, aubergine, rose and gerbera.

Grodan is part of the Rockwool Group, the world’s leading producer of stone wool products. The various Rockwool companies manufacture a large variety of products for various applications, that make optimal use of the special characteristics of the material. With 23 factories in three continents and a turnover of over 1.5 billion euros, the Rockwool Group employs more than 8500 people. The head office is located in Copenhagen, Denmark.

More information and visuals:

Kees Struijk, Marketing Manager Substrates

Tel: +31(0)475 353298, e-mail: , www.grodan.com

Click here for the PDF File of the press release.
Click here for the PDF File of the Grodan EU Ecolabel Certificate.