IPM Essen 2023: Plantics presents the ultimate sustainable alternative to the plastic plant pot: DOPA

The world’s largest horticultural trade fair took place in Essen between 23 and 26 January this year, with an invite to Plantics to showcase the DOPA plant pot in the Discovery Center. It’s a place where visitors come to together to seek inspiration from the latest retail trends. With a delegation of enthusiastic colleagues and a batch of DOPA plant pots, we set off for Germany.

The DOPA plant pot is a strong, sustainable, and appealing alternative to the familiar plastic plant pot. It is made entirely from natural materials – recycled paper and the 100% natural bio-resin from Plantics, thereby making it biodegradable. Consumers can insert the plant, and the pot, directly into the ground and the pot will quite quickly become one with the soil. The plant pot also has a natural look and feel to it. According to Romeo Sommers, stylist at the Discovery Center, this makes the DOPA plant pot the ideal solution for future-proof horticulture.

Financially appealing
A consumer survey carried out at florist’s shops, markets, and supermarkets – where customers could choose between a plant in a traditional plastic plant pot and a DOPA pot – has revealed that customers would be willing to pay more for a plant in DOPA. That is: €0.50 to €1.50 extra per plant, in the €3 to €4 price class. This makes the pot a financially appealing prospect for retailers and suppliers.

Discovery Center
With all of this in mind, our DOPA pots were given a prominent position in the Discovery Center on a large stand adorned from top to bottom in beautiful plants potted in our DOPA pots. Groups of visitors were given a guided tour by Romeo and the opportunity to take a seat on a Hemp High or Hemp Fine stool, developed by Plantics in partnership with our partner Vepa. We also had some very interesting discussions with different retailers.

On German TV
The German television networks also picked up on the value of the Discovery Center, which was visited by a film crew from broadcaster ZDF on the first day. The presenter conducted a brief interview about DOPA with Romeo, covering its sustainability, strength, and the biodegradable nature of the DOPA pots. There was also some nice footage of the DOPA pots as an example of how horticulture could look in the (not-too-distant) future. You can see the segment between 8.45 and 9.36.

Contact
Are you interested in the DOPA pot? If so, please get in touch with Martin Lekkerkerk to discuss the options. T: +31 6 317 9430, E: Martin.Lekkerkerk@plantics.com.