{"id":7600,"date":"2024-10-15T08:49:43","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T06:49:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jiffygroup.com\/news\/peat-free-potting-how-co-creation-sparked-a-renewable-jiffy-innovation\/"},"modified":"2024-10-15T10:47:48","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T08:47:48","slug":"peat-free-potting-how-co-creation-sparked-a-renewable-jiffy-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jiffygroup.com\/pt\/noticias\/peat-free-potting-how-co-creation-sparked-a-renewable-jiffy-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Peat-free potting: how co-creation sparked a renewable Jiffy innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Jiffy Pot, a pioneering product that transformed global retail gardening after its debut in the 1950s, now has a 21st-century cousin. As growers recognize society's demand for renewable alternatives to traditional plastic pots, Jiffy has responded with a new, eco-friendly solution. In just three years, the company harnessed the power of open innovation to develop a peat-free alternative, marking a significant step forward in sustainable horticulture.<\/p>\n

In a testament to the potential of cross-industry collaboration, Jiffy's Peat-Free Pot<\/a> was born from a partnership between unlikely allies. Developed by Jiffy in conjunction with paper development company Millvision<\/a> and horticulture research lab VARTA<\/a>, the new pot is the direct result of open innovation — a concept encouraging diverse industries to share expertise and co-create solutions. By bringing together the knowledge and resources of all partners, Jiffy was able to deliver on a better-quality product, in less time, than if it had tried this alone.<\/p>\n

Charl Goossens, owner of VARTA, Millvision chemical engineer Sander van Calker, and Jiffy product innovator Tara Duggan reflect on the creative journey that led to this groundbreaking development.<\/p>\n

When did this all begin?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tara Duggan (Jiffy):<\/strong> We began this project at the Jiffy innovation department in 2021. My background is in sourcing alternative materials for peat. I did a PhD on that topic in Ireland, looking at different ways of processing raw materials to create renewable alternatives to peat for growing in the horticulture industry. There is clear demand for peat-free products in today's horticulture industry. Open innovation is key to Jiffy's philosophy. One major benefit is that experts from other industries have often addressed the same questions which you are asking. By finding suitable project partners, we open up the discussion and share knowledge.<\/p>\n

How did you join forces with VARTA and Millvision?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tara Duggan (Jiffy):<\/strong> We had a relationship with VARTA's sister company — Baytree grower Gova. They had for some years been researching peat-free materials for their own substrate mixes.<\/p>\n

Charl Goossens (VARTA):<\/strong> That's right. We are growers, so we have a lot of hands-on experience. Plus, our laboratory at VARTA researches turning waste fibres into value-added products. So, there were several natural touchpoints for working together with Jiffy.<\/p>\n

Tara Duggan (Jiffy):<\/strong> Millvision was perhaps a less obvious partner for those unfamiliar with our industry. I first became very interested in Millvision's activities thanks to their powerful online presence. Also, they are located near our Netherlands head office, and I knew our pot-making process is similar to how paper is made.<\/p>\n

Sander van Calker (Millvision): <\/strong>I have developed a love for fibres over the past 12 years. However, horticulture was new for me. <\/strong>When we all first met, we had to find a common language. During our early brainstorms we discovered that while there was an overlap in many of the processes we all use, we each have different terminology for them. So, we first had to find a common language.<\/p>\n

Tara Duggan (Jiffy): <\/strong>Yes, I remember that! When we talk about "fine fibre", for example, we're talking in centimetres, and you guys are talking in microns! Completely different.<\/p>\n

Sander van Calker (Millvision): <\/strong>Also, I had to do a 180-degree rethink when we started. In the paper and packaging industry we are always struggling against water to a certain extent. And now we were talking about developing a product which needs to cope with and tolerate water! That was quite a challenge at first.<\/p>\n

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(From left to right) Tara Duggan, Charl Goossens and Sander van Calker, formed the core open innovation team<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What were the next steps once you could understand each other?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tara Duggan (Jiffy): <\/strong>Millvision was already developing new paper products from different types of alternative fibres, while VARTA had already commercialized many different products for the food and cosmetics industry, based on waste products from the horticulture sector. Step one was to select suitable candidate raw materials. These would be fibres, but there had to be sufficient volumes available for a major roll-out, and they would have to be processable on Jiffy Pot production machines. We started with a long-list of 30 renewable fibres and then started lab screening.<\/p>\n

Charl Goossens (VARTA): <\/strong>That's where we came in. Our goal was to see what characteristics each fibre had if we would make a pot out of it. What happens if you use it in a nursery and what course will nature take? Interactions with substrates (soil layers) and moulds were key factors. There are moulds and fungi which grow on fibres which attack plants, which is obviously not what Jiffy was looking for, but you also need mould to biodegrade the pot. One of the challenges for biodegradable pots is that Jiffy wants them to look as good as possible in the supermarket, and then break down only once they are planted. So, basically we were looking at mould and how quickly it spread in a variety of materials.<\/p>\n

Tara Duggan (Jiffy): <\/strong>I was very surprised how fast the long list of 30 was swiftly cut down to only three high-potential fibres by this assessment. A Jiffy Pot<\/a> is a demanding product for demanding circumstances. Growers have to put them through automated equipment, then they go to the nursery, then in trucks to the supermarket, and finally to consumers and into the ground. The final three renewable fibres were: Sphagnum moss, Coconut Coir and Bark Fibre. We then had to see how these fibres performed in production screening using Millvision's pulp and paper machines for low and medium volume trials, and finally through Jiffy's own machines for full-scale production testing.<\/p>\n

Where do papermaking and Jiffy Pot production processes overlap?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sander van Calker (Millvision): <\/strong>Very simply put, we both use equipment for pulping, refining, dewatering and drying fibre-based products; to create paper, or in this cased a compostable pot. We created a variety of samples using the test fibres. One main difference is that to make paper we normally begin with fibres which are several millimetres long. Now we were literally putting chunks of fibres into our machines. That was unusual for us. I was very surprised that while a compostable pot might look rather simple, it is packed with technology. There is a recipe of several fibres, all of which have a specific function. One is to hold the spectrum together, another to keep the water inside, for example. And when you change one fibre you change the recipe and therefore the functionality and pot processability as well. There's a lot in it!<\/p>\n

Which fibre won the test in the end?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tara Duggan (Jiffy): <\/strong>Sphagnum moss came out the clear winner. Eventually, our trials showed that Sphagnum pots had equal performance to Jiffy Pots made of peat and improved performance compared to cocos and bark. Sphagnum pots were much stronger than cocos, and mould resistance and plant growth improved in a number of trials. Sphagnum is renewable, local, and has a CO2 footprint that is eight times lower than peat, so it met all our sustainability targets. Production testing also confirmed that Sphagnum is a more suitable raw material for the Jiffy pot production process.<\/p>\n

Charl Goossens (VARTA): <\/strong>I was very surprised by the toughness of sphagnum moss. At VARTA we look into the power of plants and their contents, and I had not expected how resilient sphagnum turned out to be.<\/p>\n

Sander van Calker (Millvision): <\/strong>I was very surprised that while a compostable pot might look rather simple, it is packed with technology. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What did you learn from the open innovation process<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sander van Calker (Millvision): <\/strong>Working in open innovation teaches you to add value to each other\u2019s businesses, you add knowledge that you already have and apply it to a different industry or to different products and markets. It's inspiring and very interesting.<\/p>\n

Tara Duggan (Jiffy):<\/strong> I learned the most about processing. Understanding the machinery that we have to create this product and what works and what doesn't work. And learning from the pulp and paper world because it's just a very well-founded, well-researched industry. It was eye-opening to see what has already been applied in that sector and then trying to apply those rules to our products.<\/p>\n

Charl Goossens (VARTA):<\/strong> It was fascinating for us to be able to look behind the scenes at other industries. To understand each other's points of view. To learn from each other and contribute to a creative process in which we all had input and in the end, created a new product which are all very proud of.<\/p>\n

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The peat-free Jiffy Pot made from sphagnum moss is not only incredibly durable but also completely compostable!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Has the success of the Peat-Free Jiffy Pot inspired you to continue working together?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tara Duggan (Jiffy): <\/strong>It certainly has.<\/p>\n

Charl Goossens (VARTA): <\/strong>We are looking into variable substrate layers together.<\/p>\n

Sander van Calker (Millvision): <\/strong>Besides the sustainability of the raw materials, we are exploring how to optimize and innovate energy efficiencies during various parts of the pot production process, to continuously improve the sustainability of the whole concept.<\/p>\n

Are you jointly working on any other specific new product innovations?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tara Duggan (Jiffy): <\/strong>We might be. But at the moment that is all highly top secret (smiles).<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s work together<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Jiffy Group is a leading global supplier of premium growing media and solution thinking. We aim to serve you, our customers in plant propagation and cultivation, to achieve better results with fewer worries. We do this by continually improving, innovating, and working toward our common goals, based on scientific research, teamwork, and decades of experience. Let\u2019s develop sustainable plant growing solutions together: Let\u2019s start today!<\/p>\n