Rainwater collection and usage
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All rainwater caught on our 350,000 ft2 roof, is collected, cleaned and then used for the irrigation of our Orchid crops
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This reduces our demand on the public water system to almost 0
Sustainability has quickly become a familiar term. There are many ways to define what it means: Caring for our planet, co-existence of human civilization with the earth, maintaining a circular economy… Regardless of how you define it, sustainability is an important consideration in the operation of a business.
Now what do we actually do with it?
CosMic Plants focuses on maintaining a strong triple bottom line, which measures success with the 3-P’s in mind: Planet, People, and Profit. CosMic Plants is committed to continuous improvement in the sustainability of our business practices. Our goal is to grow and supply beautiful Orchids in the most ethical way possible. Although we keep striving to improve, we are proud of how far we’ve come in terms of environmental sustainability.
In order to quantify our efforts, CosMic Plants works with MPS since 2022; MPS (More Profitable Sustainability) is an ECAS audited certification program for the international floricultural industry.
We are proud to announce that since 2023 we are MPS certified with an A+ rating ! Click on our rating below for more information about MPS
Here are some of the factors that are measured and audited:
Re-use of irrigation water and fertilizers
- Plants absorb about 50% of irrigation water given, the other 50% is collected and re-used
- By collecting irrigation water, we can also reuse fertilizers
- This results in about a 50% reduction in fertilizer usage
- Fertilizers are also prevented from seeping into groundwater or entering the public water system
Biologically controlled pest management
- Elimination of chemical treatment of our orchids
- Customers receive a plant free of chemicals
- We avoid stunting the growth of our orchids due to chemical treatment
- Biologicals are plant-friendly AND human-friendly
- Our orchids have no chemical residue which means they are pet-friendly
Pine Bark vs Sphagnum Moss
- CosMic Plants uses a potting medium that consists of Pine bark, contrary to many other Orchid growers, who use sphagnum moss
- Pine bark is a by-product from the North American lumber and construction industry, while sphagnum moss is imported from countries like Chili and New Zealand, where it is slowly becoming scarce
C02 re-use
- CO2 is a by-product of our private energy production
- First the residual heat is extracted from the CO2 and used to help warm up the greenhouses
- Then the CO2 is distributed in the greenhouses to promote growth of our plants. Plants perform photosynthesis with light, water and CO2
- Our plants then turn this back into oxygen!
Local for local
- Our Orchids are grown not too far from you!
- The range of our supply chain is short – and our location is ideal! We reach the northeastern quadrant of North America within 10 hours of trucking
- Much of our business is done collaboratively with distributors and other growers to ensure efficient transportation of our product
Climate control systems
- High-tech climate control systems are used to minimize energy consumption
- Light-levels are optimized by use of natural sunlight paired with screen manipulations
- Triple screening for heat retention, humidity and light control
- Overhead and under-table heating provides flexibility in temperature and humidity control
- Windows on both sides of greenhouse peaks allows for improved ventilation
- A fogging system allows for greater humidity control
Automation
- Plants are grown on a grid of movable tables, which allows for maximum usage of greenhouse area and energy resources
Plastic, paper, and organic recycling
- Cardboard is neatly separated by us, and then compacted at a partner company
- Plastics are separated into two types, collected for about 2 months and then brought to a recycling depot in Niagara Falls
- Organics are collected and composted by neighbouring fruit farmers to improve the soil structure of their orchards
Low carbon footprint materials
- CosMic Plants uses recycled plastic products for our labels and trays
- Packaging consists of cardboard
- Sleeves and pots are made of multiple-use plastics
- CosMic Plants intentionally eliminates the use of one-time use plastics
On-site stormwater management
- Rainwater that falls on our roof is stored in large silos for future usage
- On-site stormwater ponds ensure that overflow is controlled and the pressure on the public stormwater system is minimized
The Art of Orchids
