Waste, re-use and recycling
We have never, since day one, bought plastic bags to give out to customers. The only plastic bags we will give you are ones that have already been used at least once. Mostly they come to us from suppliers, with products inside. You can also choose a plain brown paper bag.
We fill only one wheelie-bin every week, whose contents goes to a recycling centre in Hereford and everything recyclable is recycled. Every scrap of bubble wrap is re-used by us and every usable plastic bag. We salvage unwanted crates and boxes from the Farmshop and staff are encouraged to bring suitable cardboard boxes etc. in for use instead of bags. Our cardboard waste is now being collected by another local business - they pass us regularly anyway so no transport effect whatsoever - for use as packing filler.
We continually encourage suppliers to find alternatives to bubble wrap for their packing.
Our nursery suppliers are in the process of moving over to non-black pots and plant trays which are much easier to recycle (these are mostly taupe or green, but may be other colours).

Local sourcing
We are committed to reducing plant miles and, with so many excellent wholesale nurseries based nearby, we are able to source nearly all of our plants locally. Now that we have found an excellent bedding nursery nearby, we have reduced plant imports from Holland by around 50%, with only houseplants still being imported. Some of our veg plants are even grown by members of staff and brought in when they are coming to work anyway, so zero plant miles.
Other products we buy locally include everything from cards to the stone chess pieces (which are made in Chapel Lawn).  Lou's poo (alpaca fertiliser) is produced just over Clee Hill, and our rusty plant supports come from Tenbury Wells.  Most of our birdcare comes from local companies such as CJ wildlife, plus a new local maker of bird feeders and bird tables will start to supply us in Spring 2020.

Raising awareness
There are many opportunities for us to bring environmental issues up when talking to customers and suppliers - and we are committed to making the most of these. Whenever possible we try to steer customers towards the greener option, for example peat-free composts (only these or low peat options are stocked), natural pest control, organic, natural and sustainable plant foods and fertilisers, coir-free biodegradable pots, house numbers made from recycled plant pots, pots made from recycled or biodegradable materials; eco-wax-food-wraps, rice husk drinking cups, paper-pot kits and of course, a large range of the most natural of air-purifiers - houseplants!

Wildlife gardening, food production and biodiversity
Staff here are passionate about the benefits of organic gardening and grow-your-own. We encourage customers to buy organic alternatives to common garden chemicals. We specialise in selling perennial plants and shrubs that are excellent for bees, butterflies, other pollinating insects, and birds. We have planted a hedge around the plant area that is well-used by nesting birds in Spring (they like to bath in our watering trays too), and our huge drift of verbena bonariensis is doing its bit to feed butterflies for almost half the year, lasting until the frosts. Staff here are keen to advise customers on topics such as vegetable gardening, wildlife-friendly plantings, how to look after hedgehogs in the garden, and how to ensure any spraying done does not harm bees.  

Energy efficiency
The Plant Centre building is relatively new so we are lucky in that it is quite energy-efficient. Plants are watered by hand to minimise water wastage. We try not to boil the kettle all day long - we don't have time anyway!