Environmental Policy

Introduction

Gordale recognizes that we all have a responsibility to protect our environment and consequently, would wish to take a lead with employees and suppliers by making such considerations an important business objective.

Gordale is committed to minimising the impact of its activities on the environment. We recognize this to be a continuous process of development and seek to improve our performance over time.

Gordale continually strives to expand in a manner that contributes to achieving an environmentally sustainable development.

We aim to reflect our commitment to delivering sustainability in our own business practices and through our values and policies. In developing and operating a policy in such respects we would wish to make the requirements of legislation and environmental regulation the minimum standards to be observed.
In partnership with our employees we would make and observe a number of commitments, which are set out in the following statement.

Policy Statement

  • Encourage employees to turn off all electrical equipment, such as personal computers, laptops and photocopiers when not in use.

  • Encourage employees to turn off any room lighting when not in use.

  • Timers, sensors and thermostats have been installed to prevent waste of resources.

  • Actively promote recycling both internally and amongst its customers and suppliers.

  • Actively promote the use of recycled products and materials

  • Source and promote a product range to minimise the environmental impact of both production and distribution.

  • Use local suppliers and produce wherever possible.

  • Implement staff training to raise awareness of the importance of recycling and enlist their support in improving the company’s performance.

  • Work with the community and schools to encourage awareness of the environment through education in the form of talks, school trips and tree planting and grow your own competitions.

  • Plant trees and site bird houses on Gordale property.

  • Work with local societies such as the RSPB, Woodland Trust and Cheshire Wildlife Trust

Performance Review

We will periodically review performance, wherever possible, on the commitments contained in this statement.

FSC Policy

Gordale Garden Centre, situated on the A540 Chester High Road, Burton, South Wirral, Cheshire, is committed to the purchasing of products from a responsible source.

To achieve this Gordale shall ensure, where possible, that all wood and paper products come either from well managed forests or recycled materials.

 

Gordale believes that the best way to do this is to purchase products with the FSC logo as we feel certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) currently offers the best evidence that wood and paper products come from well managed forests.

Gordale FSC Buying Policy

To ensure that

  • where possible all paper, timber and timber containing products sold come from recycled or FSC certified forests

  • that where available all tropical hardwood sold is FSC certified.

  • all certified or recycled timber, timber containing and paper products sold by Gordale are labelled appropriately.

  • all timber & timber containing products used by Gordale, in property developments and maintenance come from well managed forests.

Gordale shall not knowingly use:

  • illegally harvested wood
  • wood harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights
  • wood harvested in forests where high conservation values are threatened by management activities
  • Wood harvested from forests being converted to plantations or non-forest use

Growing Media and Peat

The government has an ambition to see a reduction and an eventual phase out of peat in horticulture both commercially and for home gardeners.

Peat is an organic material formed when plants, in waterlogged areas, die and instead of decomposing slowly accumulate as peat.

Peat bogs support unique wildlife, they store carbon, they store rain water and release it slowly to the rivers and are recreation areas. Peat is made slowly and its extraction causes damage to the environment so it is advisable to look at other growing mediums with either less peat in or no peat at all, as long as the end result ( good quality plants, safe to use, looks good, smells fine, water needs, good rooting structure ) is the same.

Gordale’s growing media suppliers are working hard to find this ideal product. New products include coir, green compost, composted bark, bark, wood fibre and other wood product.

At Gordale we offer our customers choice, we do continue to stock a 100% peat product Erin Moss Peat, we have 100% peat free products including Which? Best Buy, Arthur Bowers New Horizon Multi Purpose, Vital Earth Multi Purpose Compost and Arthur Bowers Vegetable Compost and a whole host of growing media with peat included.

Look out for the following logos on our growing media products

Dragon Fly – this compost has been produced by a full member of the Growing Media Initiative, it has met a strict sourcing code and contains less than 50% peat.

FSC – this compost contains wood products from responsibly managed forests and can be traced back from the store, through manufacturing to the forest of origin.

Please do not hesitate to ask a member of staff should you need any assistance on this or any other aspect of your growing media choice.