Experts joined members of the Garden Centre Association  during a webinar recently to talk about sustainability and best practice.

As well as members discussing what their plans with regards this were, they also heard from experts Hannah Dean-Wood from Planet Mark and Liz Williams, Sustainability Executive at the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA).

Iain Wylie, GCA Chief Executive, says: “Our sustainability webinar was highly informative and interesting, and it was fantastic to hear from Hannah and Liz.

“The session was facilitated by Mike Burks from The Gardens Group, who did a great job kicking things off by explaining how every garden centre is unique and that everyone comes from a different place, but how we all need to move in the same direction. Mike explained how sharing ideas is what we do best as an organisation and how important it was to keep communicating together on this topic through our dedicated sustainability discussion group on the new GCA Exchange. He also said that each member garden centre should appoint a ‘Sustainability Champion’ who can liaise with people on the shop floor as well as senior managers.

“The environment and sustainability were the biggest discussion points in our 2021 strategy meeting and will be a huge issue for many more years to come, and it was great to hear from our members about how they are dealing with it in their own garden centres.

“The centres who are already making big changes are acting as inspiration and guides for some of the smaller centres. By sharing ideas and best practices, we will be better placed as individual businesses and also, collectively, as an industry. This of course is the essence of the GCA.

“The member garden centres that attended the webinar have all started the process of becoming more sustainable and some are well down the road. Guy Topping from Barton Grange told attendees they were harvesting and using rainwater, but that climate change had a negative affect on rainwater as there was no clear pattern. They were using solar panels and that they had urban free draining in their car park to reduce flooding. They asked suppliers for all paper packaging only and recycled plants pots, among many other things, and that consumers expect us to be sustainable. Guy also said that it wasn’t just about buildings and products, but also about processes and people.

“George Hillier from Hilliers also had some useful tips and advice for other members. He said that the most impact could be made by working together, that we’re at the beginning of a journey, we shouldn’t be paralysed by the task ahead and should be driven by intention and action. George said everything we do matters because of our families, friends and colleagues and that we needed to answer the question ‘what did you do’, which will be asked by future generations. He added that 50% of our carbon footprint comes from energy usage, so if centres measured and reduced that, it would make a big difference.

“Mike Burks added that it was important to make real claims and not green wash and that as the industry was struggling to recruit staff, sustainability was a good draw for young people considering a career option.

“Tammy Woodhouse, our Chairman, also explained that we will be looking now at having more regular webinars, perhaps quarterly, on the topic, where members could contribute content for discussion. And that we’d have environmentally aware speakers at conferences going forward to help drive the initiative. For the 2023 conference, we already have a speaker from Riverford Organics booked.”

Hannah Dean-Wood from Planet Mark, which empowers businesses to make changes that will shape a more sustainable world, spoke to GCA members about the moral and commercial reasons to be more sustainable.

Mike added: “We’ve been working with Planet Mark for three years now as an organisation and we’re not duplicating the work of the HTA but complementing it with all we’re doing and this webinar helped bring it all together.

“Hannah gave an overview of the last 50 years and how things have changed through planet warming. She said the world is mobilising, not just the natural world, but society in general and that we as an industry have a moral, commercial and legal duty to become more sustainable. She also explained how 75% of adults in the UK are worried about climate change. Hannah said sustainability was now a key factor affecting businesses wishing to raise finance too and that by 2050 all businesses should, by law, be at net zero. She explained how important it was to measure, engage and communicate as part of this process to reduce carbon emissions.”

Liz Williams from the HTA also gave a presentation during the webinar.

Together the HTA and our organisation have the power to make a real change and a significant difference and we’ve a very positive working relationship, making us a real force for good together. We fully endorse the HTA Sustainability Roadmap.

The HTA has created the Sustainability Roadmap as a framework for helping members to increase the commercial, environmental and social value their business delivers. It aims to build on the good practice evident among HTA members put the UK horticulture and landscaping industry at the leading edge of sustainable business.

“Liz explained how garden centres are perceived as environmentally responsible by the public and how important our role is as an industry. She said it was important to focus on the things that are unique to horticulture such as the stress on water supply, reducing use of plastics, increase sustainability of growing media and fostering innovation in pest and disease management. Liz explained what assistance is available from the HTA and about its Sustainability Pledge and answered questions from members on how to create a Roadmap. She also said the HTA was lobbying the Government for more support to help centres.”

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide.

Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

For further information, please call 01244 952170. Alternatively, please visit www.gca.org.uk.