Sustainability

  • Sustainability

    Download our new Sustainable Growing at The Bransford Webbs Plant Company booklet here to find out more. 

    As suppliers of new and sought after plants to the garden centre market, our product can have a very POSITIVE IMPACT to both people and the environment. We fully embrace the RESPONSBILITY we have to ensure our plants are grown and despatched in the most SUSTAINABLE way possible,  and strive for continual improvement.

     

     

  • Growing Media

    We are developing a sustainable pathway to a peat free future. Currently all growing media is at least 60% peat free, with some crops grown in 100% peat free. We are conducting trials across the nursery in our quest to become peat free. Peat alternatives must be environmentally friendly, responsibly sourced, available in commercial volumes and able to sustain high quality plants. 

  • Biological control

    When used in conjunction with optimal cultural control measures and effective irrigation and feed regimes, we see biological control as the only sustainable method going forward. We invest seven times more annually on biological controls than all chemicals combined. We sow wildflower areas and have wildlife corridors across our site to maintain increased biodiversity. 

  • Energy

    We have a 60KW solar panel system fitted to the main warehouse and office roof generating a third of electricity used on site. Since we installed solar panels in 2015, they have generated 318 megawatts of energy, enough to  power 100 houses for a year. LED lights have been installed across the business to reduce energy usage. We use electric vehicles and machinery on site whenever possible. We are installing car charging points and our first electric company car has been installed. 

  • Water

    We recycle and reuse all irrigation run off to reduce our water usage, and are updating our irrigation across the nursery to improve efficiency. Over 10 million litres (4 Olympic swimming pools) of rainwater is harvested annually across the site. 63 million litres (25 Olympic swimming pools) of reservoir storage allows us to harvest water from the River Teme in the winter months. 

  • Recycle and reuse

    We led the industry initiative to replace non recyclable black pots with the kerbside recyclable taupe pot. All our labels can be recycled in the same way as the pots. All plastic waste is sent for recycling and we are  zero to landfill business. Green waste is composted on site and used by a local organic farmer. 

  • Our Team

    We are proud to be a local employer, employing over 100 people in peak season. The average career at Bransford Webbs for a permanent member of staff is 13.5 years. Bransford Webbs are part of the Cycle to Work scheme and have provided 51 bikes. We provide a flexible working environment to aid staff welfare and well-being. The management team have all received mental health first aid training. We believe in proactively supporting our team to improve their knowledge through continuous training. 

     

    Download our new Sustainable Growing at The Bransford Webbs Plant Company booklet here to find out more. 

    Environmental Policy new logo June 2024