In This Issue
"Every single thing we do is driven at the moment by trying to manage the risk to customers and staff"
Four tips to maximise your garden centre on a budget
Hillier to Open New Garden Centre at Syon Park Estate
British nurseries are amongst the most eco-friendly on the planet, not that you’d know from watching Gardeners’ World
Restaurant gets star billing at redeveloped centre
GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards are back!
Change at the top for family-run Highfield Garden World
Sales jump by 20% to record mid-November levels
Plants are selling at record levels during Lockdown 2
Container issues continue to escalate at UK ports 
HTA launches Sustainability Roadmap to guide UK horticulture towards leading edge of sustainable business practice
The Most Jumperful Time of the Year Fundraiser starts tomorrow!
Work starts on site for largest Dobbies in South West
Possible Christmas tree shortage due to Danish mink cull
Henry Bell clinches deal with Future Marketing Group
Janssens Greenhouses – over 70 years of heritage
Garden centre gets new appearance thanks to Smiemans
GTN November issue now on-line
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Garden centre customers find happiness in houseplants in October
Two-thirds more gardening this Autumn – Wow!
End of season pot bargains and houseplant care star
HTA reacts to new December tier arrangements
Gonks fly through tills as Christmas sales jump up
A Christmas feast for your garden birds
The best of last week's
A Perfect Storm Hits the Garden Market
Sales fall by 5.5% in Lockdown 2
“The Smart Show must go on…line!”
Five creative ways to enhance your takeaway service during lockdown
Profits up at Notcutts in year to February 2020
Garden Centre Photo Tours
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp
British Garden Centres open their 58th centre at Thatcham
Barton Grange Christmas 2020 - Exclusive GTN Xtra Photo Tour
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Buy your subscription to the GTN Bestsellers printed weekly newsletter
All the latest news from the world of pet products
Back to business for industry exhibitions
Tong donates stock to South Yorkshire dog rescue charity
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HTA launches Sustainability Roadmap to guide UK horticulture towards leading edge of sustainable business practice
 

As a green industry, the horticulture sector can and should lead the way in sustainable business practices and efforts to reduce climate change, says the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), which today launches its industry-leading guidance on how this could be achieved. 

 

Building on the strong foundations that already exist in UK horticulture and landscaping, the HTA has worked with its members to develop its first ever Sustainability Roadmap. 

 

This ground-breaking work identifies five key areas to place horticulture and landscaping at the forefront of sustainable business practice. Designed as a framework for collaboration, with ambitious targets for 2025, achievement against the roadmap’s goals will make a significant contribution to the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. 

 

HTA Chairman, James Barnes, called on the industry to embrace the ethos of the roadmap, saying: “Horticulture has an intrinsic connection to the environment - we are a community who cares about the natural world and it is in our interests to safeguard its future.  

 

“The Prime Minister recently announced his ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution - I believe we have an essential role to play in the Government’s plan to transition to a greener economy. As a sector which contributes around £24 billion to the UK’s GDP and supports over half a million jobs, we must demonstrate how we offer real opportunities for green employment and a more sustainable economy as the UK recovers from the impact of Covid.” 

 

The roadmap supports the enormous strides already taken towards a more sustainable industry.  

 

It will, for example, be central to making further progress in tackling issues such as use of plastics. The HTA has for some time been working with members and stakeholders to develop industry-led solutions for the re-use and recycling of horticultural plastics and with local government and the waste industry to increase kerbside recycling of plastics used in horticulture.  

 

The roadmap outlines a goal to see 40% or more of the combined weight of plant pots and packaging, garden chemicals containers, and growing media bags sourced from recycled plastic, by 2025.  

 

The Sustainability Roadmap focuses on five areas and are a direct response to the threats of climate change, plastic pollution, water stress, and biodiversity loss, all of which pose risks to our health and environment:  

 

  1. Reducing HTA members’ carbon footprints  
  2. Reducing stress on the UK’s water supply  
  3. Increasing circularity in horticultural plastics  
  4. Actively shaping a peat reduction strategy by February 2021, engaging with all stakeholders 
  5. Fostering innovation in pest and disease management 

 

They are critical, both in terms of their commercial importance to the industry and in terms of the potential for making a difference to the environment.  

 

Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow, said “Sustainable business, the environment, and decarbonisation are at the heart of government policy. As we build back greener from the coronavirus pandemic, we continue to make significant progress implementing our 25 Year Environment Plan and accelerating our journey to net zero emissions. 

  

“We welcome the ornamental horticulture and landscaping industry taking a lead on this through the Horticultural Trades Association’s Sustainability Roadmap and the actions being taken to protect the natural environment and combat climate change.” 

 

The roadmap is a framework through which the HTA will deliver resources, case studies, data, training and services for members to enable them to increase their environmental, commercial and social sustainability. The organisation is encouraging all its members to join the sustainability journey to 2025 and contribute what they can, regardless of the size or type of business. The latest information and resources on sustainability are available at: hta.org.uk/sustainability 

 

“Not only is it in our interest to collaborate on ambitious targets, but the climate emergency means people will rightly look to us for the highest standards. Sustainability can be achieved by balancing impacts on people, planet and profit. When businesses work towards this and all three aspects of sustainability are in place and mutually supportive, we can deliver lasting benefits to the environment,” concluded James Barnes. 

 

  GTN will be publishing its 2021 Sustainability Directory in December.  Suppliers wishing to have their Sustainability Innitiative or product range included should contact alan@pottingshedpress.co.uk

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