In a world where climate change is having an ever-greater impact, landscaping is playing an increasingly important role. Do you rake the leaves off your lawn in winter and put them in the bin, or do you leave them there for the birds and insects to boost biodiversity in your garden? Biofuel is what they call it at Groenfra, the leading specialist in landscaping, based in Zaandam.

“It’s all about raising awareness. What are we doing?”, says Ton Rumphorst, who is responsible for both sales and quality control at Groenfra.

“Our challenge is to be 100% circular within two years. That means, for example, processing branches, trunks and other wood into construction timber or wood chips. There’s a lot of demand for that. But you can also simply reuse leaves or other garden material.
And by thinking logically and planning ahead, you can create a pond in your garden with relatively minor alterations, which can then be converted into a sandpit in the next phase of your life and transformed into a new water feature once the children have left home.”

“Do you have waste or do you have raw materials?”

 

Landscaping, tree and garden technology

Since Ton joined Groenfra in 2014 – when it was still called TC Groentechiek – several companies have been acquired and merged. As a result, they now have three strong disciplines. Groenfra advises on and implements innovative green space management, primarily for local authorities and government bodies.

“For example, we are responsible for felling and replanting trees in West and Nieuw West for the City of Amsterdam. And this must be done in an innovative way. CO2 emissions must be reduced, and machinery, materials and the vehicle fleet
must all comply with the requirements of a so-called sustainability clause,” Ton continues.

Groenfra also specialises in the maintenance, pruning, removal and planting of trees, providing these services to local authorities, businesses and private individuals. We also cater to the specific requirements of businesses and private clients.  Think of roof gardens, green facades and more. In this way, Groenfra can turn black roofs green. Rainwater is retained and then flows more naturally into the garden, the groundwater or the sewer system. And as well as being better for the environment, it also provides cooling in the summer. A final benefit is that the roofing lasts longer.

“We can transform empty roofs into the air conditioning of the urban area”

Sustainability, CO2 emissions and business disruption

Groenfra is on the 5th step of the CO2 ladder. And that is quite an achievement. Sustainability is a top priority. “We’re trying to reduce service mileage by planning better and gaining a better understanding of the work. Because we know where our staff are, one colleague can help another out at the end of the working day. That way, we don’t have to drive the whole way again the next day. It’s the little things that make a big difference to our carbon footprint,” says Ton.

Groenfra is also mindful of its assignments. Ton explains: “We mainly carry out our work within the Den Helder – Leiden – Almere triangle. It’s not just a waste of time to travel further afield, but also of mileage and fuel. There’s plenty of work for everyone.”

“The vehicles are, after all, your company’s calling card”

The extension to the journey logging that TrackJack offers with Green Driving is very interesting for Groenfra. “It’s not about control for us, but the vehicles are indeed your company’s calling cards. So it’s good to know how the vehicles are being used. Insight into CO2 emissions is a very nice
bonus,” concludes Ton.

 

Digital journey logging for HM Revenue & Customs

Until 2016, Groenfra used a different mileage recording system. “That one worked with cassettes that had to be read out on Fridays. But that was sometimes forgotten, and then a cassette would be full. That was quite inconvenient. We then started testing TrackJack. It was very user-friendly and the value for money was perfect. “At first, it was mainly about the tax authorities and not about monitoring staff. We needed to be able to easily submit the journey logs to HM Revenue & Customs,” says Ton. The second objective – working more efficiently and focusing more on sustainability – soon followed.

The company has a very clear vision for the future. Groenfra is committed to sustainability, innovation and raising awareness. Ton has a wonderful quote on the subject: “Nature is simple, but people don’t listen”.