Competencies

03.07.2017
Larissa Gilke

Certified by Grünstempel

Safe organic substrates

The production of organic substrates has to satisfy special requirements. The raw materials, fertilisers and production facilities all have to comply with strict criteria. We undergo an annual audit by Grünstempel® to have our high standards warranted and confirmed by an independent body.

The production of our organic substrates has been monitored by an independent external ecological inspection and certification organisation since 1999. This inspection body, which has been approved by the German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food, inspects and certifies organic products in accordance with the requirements of the EU regulation on organic agriculture. Since 1999, we have worked in close cooperation with “Grünstempel®”, an EU inspection and certification organisation for the organic production and processing of agricultural products, in order to monitor our entire supply chain in compliance with the stringent regulations for organic substrates.

Ensuring the purity of our organic products

One example of the measures we take to satisfy the strict ecological standards is to ensure that all our raw materials fulfil organic criteria. This is why, for instance, we conduct a certification process for our GreenFibre wood fibre product and our fermented wood fibre product TerrAktiv FT, which are contained in a large number of our organic substrates. We also warrant that our products do not contain any coated long-term fertilisers, hydrogels, wetting agents or other substances that are unsuitable for use in organic horticulture. Amongst other things, this means ensuring that the raw materials used in organic production are stored separately from those used in our conventional substrate products. Cleaning cycles in between conventional and organic production guarantee that none of these substances are contained in our organic products. This means that 50 cubic metres of a conventional product containing none of the substances which are not to be used in our organic segment have to pass through the mixing line before the next organic substrate is produced. If the substrate is to be transported in bulk (i.e. without packaging) pressure washers are used to clean the truck before loading.

Grünstempel® has access to all our recipes, specifications and customer lists. The composting facilities and production plants where we produce organic substrates also undergo an annual audit by Grünstempel®. The result: products made of raw materials and fertilisers which comply with the EU regulation on organic agriculture.