The Boma Garden Centre Environmental Policy, London

The Boma Garden Company Environmental Policy

The Boma Garden Company is a garden centre, design, landscaping and maintenance company based in Kentish Town London, serving clients in the London area.

Our business focuses on gardening and outside leisure spaces which are areas that can make a significant contribution to improving the quality of life.

We recognise that our company has the opportunity to have a positive impact on the environment and that we must strive to raise environmental awareness amongst our staff, our suppliers, our customers and the local community.

Our commitment to the environment is:

  • To think about our impact on the environment in all our initiatives.
  • To set and reach targets for improvement in our environmental performance and monitor and measure the results.
  • To ensure our staff are aware of and act on the Boma's Environmental Policy and our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment.
  • To act as a positive environmental example in our community.
  • To encourage our suppliers to adopt similar environmental principles.

Our environmental programme is monitored and managed by Ben Simpkins -BSc (Hons) Horticulture, who is a horticulturist at the Boma Garden Centre and an active environmentalist. Ben reports directly to Denise Mathew, Managing Director, on all environmental issues.

The Boma is a member of the Camden Climate Change Alliance and in April 2009 underwent a carbon audit. The Carbon Confident report issued from this audit reported that the Boma has a carbon footprint of 23.26 tons CO2. The target set for the Boma is to achieve a 10% reduction in CO2 by 2012. With the implementation of two of the Carbon Confident suggested initiatives we have reduced our footprint by 0.5672 tons (reduction of 2.43%).

Areas where the Boma impacts on the environment are:

  1. Water usage.
  2. Waste production.
  3. Use of materials.
  4. Pollution.
  5. General office processes.s

1. Water Usage

Conserving water in the Garden Centre is an important part of our business for both environmental and economical reasons.

Watering of the garden centre stock is carefully monitored according to the season and availability of staff. When appropriate, plants are hand watered (the most efficient method of watering) during the early morning when evapo-transpiration is at its lowest. During the winter 100% of the watering is by hand.

Rain water is collected on the company site and used for plant watering. This is always used as preference.

For our clients, we promote the use of irrigation systems, mulching to reduce water loss and weed prevention, water saving granules and to plant using mycorrhizal fungi which reduces the need for additional summer watering.

2. Waste Production

Waste is created by:

  • Excavation of landscaping sites.
  • Green waste from landscaping and maintenance sites.
  • Packaging materials.
  • Regular office waste.

Recycling of all waste products is encouraged by the Boma for both environmental and cost purposes.

Excavation of landscaping sites:

  • Wherever possible, waste from excavation of landscaping sites should be redistributed as infill.
  • The Boma uses recognised licensed waste disposal companies. Our main contractor is Greater London Waste and they recycle 85% of the skips contents.

Green waste from landscaping and maintenance sites:

  • Where possible, clients are encouraged to compost their own green waste or to use the green waste recycling service offered by their local council. This reduces the Boma's number of trips to the recycle centre to dispose of clients' green waste.
  • If this is not possible, all green waste removed by the Boma from clients' gardens is collected in a large transportable green waste container located in the Boma yard which is disposed of at the recycling centre.

Packaging materials:

  • The Garden Centre supply only bio-degradable carrier bags and cardboard boxes and clients are encouraged to re-use bags.
  • Broken pots and polystyrene plant packing is available free-of-charge to clients to be used as drainage material when planting.
  • Used plant pots are collected and given to schools and community groups. April 2009 we provided old pots for Kentish town C of E school for a potato growing experiment.
  • Plant trays (PS6 and PS5) are collected and recycled via the Plantpak process.
  • Pallets are stored and returned to suppliers.

Regular office waste:

  • Regular office waste (e.g. paper) is reused where possible or recycled.
  • Any internal photocopying and note-taking is done on previously on-side printed paper.

3. Use of Materials

The Garden Centre staff actively encourage clients to compost their own green waste, collect rain and gray water and use products that are not harmful to the environment. This includes New Horizon peat free compost and the use of manure and organic matter for feeding plants and soil.

The Boma annually reviews its suppliers' policies and gives preference to suppliers offering sustainable products from approved, accredited sources preferably if they are locally produced. In particular with regard to peat-free products, timber that has FSC Chain of Custody Certification and ethically traded natural stone.

Managers will regularly visit trade exhibitions (such as eco build 09 attended by James Foster and Ben Simpkins) and have time available to research new products which will reduce the impact on the environment.

4. Pollution

The Boma will endeavour to minimise the impact of carbon pollution from the use of company vehicles by:

  • Encouraging staff to use bicycles.
  • Using company scooters where possible.
  • Limiting mileage by co-ordinating Garden Centre deliveries with Landscaping & Maintenance work.
  • Where possible, all new vehicles purchased by the Boma will be dual-fuel or electric.
  • Use of Sat Nav in vehicle to plot the most fuel efficient journey after recommendation in the Carbon Confident audit.

Whenever possible the Boma should use organic products and nematodes to fertilise plants and to control pests and diseases. Clients should be encouraged to not use chemical products.

Noise assessments must be undertaken as part of our Health & Safety procedures. Tools and equipment should be regularly maintained and staff issued with PPE to protect against high noise levels.

5. General Office Processes

  • Regular office waste (e.g. paper) must be reused where possible or recycled.
  • Lights must be turned off when not required.
  • All lights have been de-bulbed as recommended by Carbon Confident audit.
  • Glass, plastic, cardboard and cans are recycled.
  • All computers and electrical equipment must be turned off when not in use.
  • Office heating is carefully monitored and turned off at night and over weekends.