5 sustainability projects that make environmental and financial sense

When Dave Van Belle considers new initiatives for his family-owned wholesale nursery and propagation business, there are two key elements at the top of the list.

“I like to think of sustainability as not just environmental sustainability but also economic sustainability,” says Van Belle. “If it’s not going to have an economic payoff in the long term, I don’t know if that’s really sustainable.”

Dave’s parents Bill and Grace started Van Belle Nursery in 1973, just north of Abbotsford in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. In his nearly 20 years as president, Van Belle has used a sustainability lens for several innovations it employs for the thousands of varieties of plants it grows, markets, and ships.

“We’ve done quite a few initiatives that I believe are better for the environment, our customers and our business, and save us money simultaneously.”

Here are five key tried-and-tested initiatives at Van Belle Nursery that make sense for environmental care and the nursery’s bottom line.

1. Amplifying integrated pest management
Integrated pest management helps the nursery reduce their reliance on chemical control, with additional benefits, such as chemical input costs savings, that make the management needed for the system all worth it.

“It’s better for our workers and better for the environment,” Van Belle explains. “And with no re-entry limits, we can actually turn crops over quicker. And our staff are proud of growing plants more sustainably – so it’s good for the earth and the pocketbook.”

2. Plugging into an electric fleet
Van Belle Nursery has used electric vehicles, including forklifts, in their greenhouses for six or seven years. Called “tuggers,” the vehicles are used in the greenhouses, save the nursery the cost of fuel, and have zero emissions – a critical factor for plants and people.

“It’s also a very easy operational choice – we just plug them in at night and the charge lasts all day,” Van Belle says.