Our environmental policy

Together with our employees, we observe a number of commitments, which are set out in the following statement.

• We use local suppliers and produce wherever possible – one of our bedding plant suppliers is just next door!
• We implement staff training to raise awareness of plant husbandry to reduce waste and minimise the use of chemicals
• Wherever possible we do not spray weed-killers or pesticides instead encouraging natural insect predators and where necessary using organic alternatives
• We source and promote bee and butterfly friendly plants which are not only good for the environment but have been grown without the use of pesticides to encourage pollinating insects
• Our staff are trained in and passionate about the benefits of organic gardening and grow your own. We encourage customers to buy organic alternatives to common garden chemicals including organic weed-killers, pesticides and plant feeds
• We actively promote recycling both internally and amongst our customers
• We separate and sort our recycling for our waste provider to make sure as much as possible is recycled and reused efficiently
• We actively promote the use of recycled products and materials
• We encourage staff to turn off electrical equipment, such as lights, computers, laptops and photocopiers when not in use
• We work hard when sourcing new product ranges to minimise the environmental impact of both production and distribution, as well as looking for products and suppliers which responsibly source, for example FSC wood and recycled plastics
• We work extensively within the community including local nurseries, schools, charities and gardening groups to encourage awareness of the environment through education in the form of talks, centre visits, tree planting and ‘Grow Your Own’ demonstrations
• Our regular marketing and social media content encourage awareness and responsible gardening. Our expert staff are always on hand in-store, online and by phone to answer questions and promote best practice
• We plant trees, wildlife friendly gardens, bird feeders and houses at Torwood to create a greener, more natural environment for wildlife, staff and customers alike
• We work with local societies including the RSPB, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Falkirk Ranger Service
• We provide plants, materials and advice for other local businesses and organisations as part of dozens of new local gardening projects every year
• We have supported the Falkirk Gardening Awards for over 10 years as a way to acknowledge the work local people are doing to create a greener community
• We have had 200 solar panels since 2010 which produce approximately 35,000 kwh of energy annually, enough to fulfil 20% of our energy requirements
• We have had two biomass boilers since 2015 which produce almost all of our heating requirements using renewable FSC approved wood pellets
• As older units are replaced, we are moving to with low energy bulbs and housings
• Our purpose-built centre has two rain water capture tanks which store thousands of litres to use when watering plants, reducing our need to use treated tap water
• As we are removed from the council sewage system, we have our own system and reed bed which cleans the waste water produced on site
• Our restaurant, Blossoms, use almost exclusively glass bottles, paper straws and compostable coffee cups taking out the need for single use plastics in our environment
• Blossoms also recycle all of their glass, food, coffee grounds and cooking oil
• We have reduced the percentage of customers using carrier bags and plastic liners by providing customers with reused boxes to carry home their plants
• We will continue to look at ways to reduce our carbon footprint with regular energy use and waste disposal audits to make sure we are doing as much as we can to protect our environment

Plastic Pots

As well as the standard recycling of plastics, papers and metals we work with our waste provider to recycle all of our black plastic pots and trays in which most of our plants are transported.  There is an industry wide commitment to finding sustainable solutions in this area which we are actively working to support.

While most black pots are in theory easily recycled through the council’s kerbside bins there is a lack of understanding amongst the council, recycling centres and general public as to how this can be done.  Part of the issue is that there are over 40,000 types of plastic split into 7 different groups, each with different recycling needs.  On top of this pots must be clean and dirt free to prevent contamination of the recycling process and allow plastics to be turned into new, usable materials.

As you will know there are new coloured bins being brought in by the council to help us all separate our recycling better and to improve the efficiency of the process.  In recent months we have been in conversation with the local council and councillors to bring this issue to their attention and encourage positive dialogue towards sustainable solutions within our local community.  We will be interested to see how different types of plastics fit into this new system and will work with all parties to make sure the information is clearly available to everyone once available.

This year we began stocking taupe coloured pots as they have gradually become available from our plant suppliers.  These have been developed to be a standard colour and composition allowing everyone to recycle them efficiently and reduce the waste produced by horticulture.  With larger plants grown on from seedlings to larger specimens for months and sometimes many years before they are available to the public this will be a gradual process to prevent current socks of black plastic going to waste.  Many of our suppliers are gradually phasing these pots in and you will see them become a normal part of our plant area in coming years.