In This Issue
Sustainability - Doing nothing is dangerous
Record start to the year, reveals GTN Bestsellers
100km team relay for industry construction specialists
100% natural weed prevention product launched in UK
Buyers flock to Glee at Spring Fair as exhibitors report brisk business from UK and overseas
Glee at Spring Fair New Product Showcase winners
Plant sales up as primulas lead the way
Kelkay win GWP business from rivals
Gardenex secures funding for National Hardware Show
Hillier Nurseries and partners going extra mile to support new Maggie’s Centre Southampton
Pictures from GCA Conference themed-party night
Zest 4 Leisure reveals Charity of the Year for 2020
Award-winning reputation grows for leading garden centre
Gordale staff star in BBC One TV programme
Clothing and houseplants show increases in December
Freedom of City of London granted to compost firm's MD
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
LeisureGrow Group Enhances Sales Management Team with Focus on Pet, Garden & Lighting Growth
Have drip feeders had their day?
Garden retail expert bolsters Vitax’s sales team
Weather, Peat or Price?
Empathy by PlantWorks appoint sales manager for the North
Wild Bird Care sales down
Flymo announces its Ambassador for 2020
Red Baron and Pink Fir Apple lead in the veg patch
HTA applaud vote to keep Universal Business Rates in Scotland
The best of last week's
January sales up on past three years
Glee at Spring Fair is open
Launch of Young People in Horticulture Association
Lubera win award for Best Novelty Bedding Plant
HTA comments on Brexit and Environment Bill
January plant sales are a good omen for a great 2020
Gardenex announces Joe Denham as new chairman
Garden Centre Photo Tours
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to GTN Bestsellers
Casual Dining previews new exhibitors & new launches for 2020
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Email neil.pope@tgcmc.co.uk, or trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call the GTN News team on 01733 775700


Sustainability - Doing nothing is dangerous

“Rushing into things is dangerous. But doing nothing is more dangerous.” So says Adam Wigglesworth of Aylett Nurseries in St Albans in GTN's Sustainability Directory 2020, published last week.

 

“It's a moving target, this sustainability thing but customers expect it. Financially, it makes sense. It works, recycling, waste reduction. Those things actually make efficiencies and even in situations where things are slightly more expensive actually, customers are normally happy to pay the difference, or you have to absorb a bit of it.”

 

Aylett Nurseries have been on the sustainability journey now for many years and are main sponsors of the annual St Albans Sustainability Week.  “I've been banging on about it for a while but if you only did one thing it would be by yourself a bailer and bail your plastic, bale your cardboard and bale your shrink and take it out of your waste stream.”

 

“When we show our customers what we do (they have massive displays of their waste management and sustainable products etc in store during St Albans Sustainability Week and at other times) they all say, ‘I didn't realize you were doing so much.’ That’s why we must tell people about it.”

 

Adam’s staff at Aylett’s play a big part in their sustainability journey.  “How many people work in garden centres who aren't enthusiastic about the environment? This is not a difficult sell. When we started on the sustainability kick, we had a management meeting: I said there are two ways to look at this, there are those of you who are the eco warriors, you're going to love this and then there are those of you who aren't and you're interested in your pay packet. All of you are going to benefit from this because we're going to reduce the amount we send to landfill, we're going to reduce our costs. We're going to sell our cardboard and our plastic, we're going to reduce the waste bill. So everyone succeeds and customers love it.”

 

“That's why I like being in this industry was their reaction. That doesn't mean we're green. It doesn't mean we don't have plastic pots. It doesn't mean we don't use heating but we certainly need to adapt and change and keep moving forward. We've got to do our best. I feel very, very passionately about it.  Customers are not asking us to completely rip up our business model and change it. There's a huge following, particularly in St Albans from customers to know what we're doing.  And when we tell them what we're doing, it is such a positive saying and we're not doing nearly enough.”

 

“I suspect loads of people have done L.E.D. lights. I've changed every single light in the garden centre. It cost £60k with a very helpful carbon trust grant of 10%. I'm saving just over 20 percent a year on my energy bill so the payback for me is three years. They've got a warranty of five years and over their lifetime that’s 30 tons of carbon we’ve saved just by putting in LED lights.”

 

Aylett Nurseries have also been involved in wider sustainability initiatives. “A few years ago we signed up to the Refill App (www.refill.org.uk) for free water bottle re-fills and currently we get at least a dozen people a day calling in for free water.  What’s not to like about that!”

 

“At the end of the day you've got to do this for the right reason. And the right reason is for the environment. Everything else is a benefit. If you're only doing this to be seen to be green that's the wrong reason.”

 

Read more about garden centre sustainability in the on-line version of GTN's Sustainability Directory 2020 using this link and see the sustainability listings of over 80 garden centre suppliers.

 

We have a limited number of extra hard copies of the Sustainability Directory available.  Please contact trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk for details.

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