Environmental Policy

At Prenplants Sussex Ltd, we have a strong commitment to sustainability. We are aware that our actions have the potential for a high impact on the environment and, as such, we are careful to limit that impact, as much as possible, through good practice and management of our resources.

Peat-Free Compost

All of our plants are grown in renewable, peat-free compost that is 100% eco-friendly, helping to protect natural peat bogs and their ecosystems. Our fertiliser used in the compost mix is slow-release, preventing excessive nutrient leaching.

Why is being peat-free so important?

Peatlands take thousands of years to form as peat grows at 1cm every 10 years. They provide vital ecosystems for rare wildlife and help prevent flooding. They also store carbon and they can store twice as much as a forest of trees. Every time we dig up peat for use in horticulture, we are letting carbon back into the atmosphere.

The government are banning the sale of peat in garden centres in 2024 and will ban the use of it in professional horticulture soon. We have offered our peat-free range since 2011.

Recyclable Pots

We use taupe recycled pots. These are pots made from carbon black pigment-free polypropylene which can be recycled through kerbside recycling schemes. Check with your local council to see whether they will accept them.

Picture Labels

We print all our colour picture labels ourselves, using recycled PET sheets that can be recycled in your kerbside recycling schemes just like a yoghurt pot.

Recycling

We favour the use of renewable resources and are keen to reuse materials such as wood and paper. We deliver our plants in Correx® trays; these too are reusable and we encourage customers to return them to us in good condition for us to re-use them.

Pests, Disease and Control of Weeds

We currently make use of diverse biological controls in our Integrated Pest Management plan. Our resident chickens, ducks and nursery cats also help with pest control. Weeding is mainly undertaken by hand and we endeavour to use preventative measures.

Water Usage

We are keen to be as efficient and effective as possible with our watering timetable, making sure water is conserved as much as possible. We are currently looking at options to harvest our water.

Composting

All biodegradable waste is composted on site in a bid to further reduce our carbon footprint.

Heated Beds

The two heated beds in the nursery are monitored when in use and adjusted accordingly with both growing requirements and energy consumption in mind.