Removing plastic from our nursery production

Through our long-term partnership with Starbucks on its ‘100 Million Trees Commitment’ (read more on page 46), we have worked on finding a solution to reduce the use of plastics in our seedling nursery. We are replacing the typical polybags used for transporting plants with paper-based BioPegon® pots, manufactured by Agropecuaria Popoyán SA. Made from corn starch, these biodegradable paper bags offer a range of environmentally friendly benefits, including reduced plastic use and lower transportation costs. They are also easy to use, and protect the roots of plants during transport, thereby reducing waste, and enabling abundant, healthy root development.

Since the testing phase, from 2019 to 2023, the production of plants in these paper pots has significantly increased, from just 1% to 66% in Guatemala. That represents more than 4.7 million trees, and the equivalent number of fewer plastic bags.

The project has also seen the development of another climate-smart solution in the use of reusable trays. Over 34% of the total volume was produced through this technique in Guatemala, enabling us to completely move away from using polybags locally.