Reducing Our Environmental Impact

As part of an industry that has a positive attitude to the environment we are always looking for ways to help reduce our impact on the planet. To date we have made these changes:

• North Hill Nurseries have been using 50% peat reduced compost mixes for some time and from the beginning of the 2021 season have put all of our own production into PEAT FREE compost.
• Our young plant production is moving away from plastic pots to compressed woodfibre pots which are potted on in their entirety and become part of the growing media in the final plant.
• Our own production has been moved over to pots that are able to be recycled at the kerbside. Additionally, these pots are made from at least 98% recycled plastics - even better, these plastics are recovered from the UK and the pots are made in England so their environmental footprint is even lower as they have not been transported internationally.
• Whilst we still have to use plastic labels to comply with Plant Passporting Requirements these are also recyclable where the facilities to do so exist.
• All of the plastic, cardboard, paper and metal waste that we produce on site is recycled and the waste compost and plant material (and some shredded wastepaper) is recycled as soil conditioner in our field growing operations.
• We use advanced controlled release fertilisers to reduce the leaching of nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates into the local watercourses.
• We collect rainwater and irrigation run off and re-use it on the crops. This has the dual effect of reducing the use of treated mains water as well as allowing the plants another opportunity to recover any leached nutrients.
• We significantly reduce our chemical pesticide usage by using Integrated Pest Management. This involves using environmental and physical controls along with Biological Controls and Biopesticides before resorting to chemical controls.
• More efficient delivery planning reducing vehicle emissions.