Wyevale announces plans to become carbon neutral

Horticulture Week – April 12 2007 Chain opts to stop selling gas patio heaters to reinforce green credentials. Wyevale Garden Centres has backed up its recent appointment of a sustainability adviser by revealing plans to become carbon neutral by 2010. The company is the second garden centre business to unveil plans for carbon neutrality, following Somerset-based Sanders GardenWorld�s announcement last month (HW, 8 March). Wyevale�s move follows the appointment of corporate responsibility and sustainable development expert Dr Alan Knight to its advisory board (HW, 15 March). The company will phase out sales of gas-powered patio heaters, despite them being a strong seller and contributing about �250,000 in sales annually. In a statement, the company said it had been convinced there were strong arguments against the use of the �ecologically questionable products� and had decided to stimulate debate over what was a serious issue by ending sales. Knight said: �If we are to enjoy gardening, we must do so in way that has a zero to very low carbon footprint. There is no excuse for gas-powered outdoor space heaters. Wyevale wants to be the first to market zero carbon outdoor heating.� The Wyevale board has also decided to: Buy only FSC or TFT-certified timber for all wooden products by 2009; Accelerate existing plans to phase out at least 90 per cent of peat and peat-based growing media by 2010 at the latest; Review the carbon footprint of all Wyevale merchandise to ensure it sells no products that breach the company�s commitment to reduce its climate change impact.