➁ supporting green businesses
Green Gardeners encourage gardeners to support greener businesses – such as organic nurserymen and local suppliers as this in turn will promote greater economic sustainability
Examples of activities undertaken by a green company such as a nursery, supplier of garden products or landscaping firm:
A. Workforce
- staff are committed to green ideals
- business encourages staff to commute by bike –reducing CO2 emissions and helping staff to keep fit
- company and the staff can get involved in community schemes such as local tree planting,or donating a smart electrical meter to a local school
B. Operations
- whether corporate pledges on environment and values are shared by management and backed up with concrete action -where the boss leads by example
- some have adopted recognised environmental management systems e.g. 14001, with targets, third party verification and reporting to the public on progress made.
- gives safe and fuel efficient driver training
- uses benign cleaning products
- uses new trucks with automatic gearboxes to save fuel
- uses recyclable, compostable packaging
- develops a wildlife friendly site
- water is harvesting from the roof
- signing up to a pension scheme with ethical investment policies
- buys recycled stationery
C. Resources
- turns the heating down in offices in winter
- installs motion sensor lighting
- electricity is bought on a green tariff
- installs new toilets with dual flush which uses less water
- uses tap water or mains fed water coolers rather than bottled water
- recycles food waste into wormeries