Gardeners' Delight?

Katy Brown looks at the UK's biggest garden centre retail chains and discovers that whilst progress on environmental issues is blooming, not everything is so rosy.

Depending on how you use it, your garden, if you have one, can play a small but important role in making a positive environmental contribution, whether by leaving wild areas to encourage wildlife or 'growing your own' to reduce food miles and chemical pesticide use. Sales of vegetable seeds now exceed those of flowers(1) showing that people are moving away from seeing their gardens purely in terms of aesthetic value.

Many people already know how to be a 'greener gardener' by avoiding peat compost and making your own, steering clear of chemical pesticides, using water butts to save water, buying organic seeds and other products, creating wildlife spaces and even starting to think about techniques such as permaculture. However, few consider ethical issues beyond this, such as workers' rights or who owns their local garden centre. With gardening becoming increasingly popular, and people prepared to spend more and more money on it, there has been a lot of growth in the sector and financial interest as a result. Private investment firms, and even supermarkets, have been buying up garden centre chains like hungry caterpillars. Here we examine general issues in the sector, company environmental policies and corporate ethical profile. As you can see from the brand table and corporate profiles, many seemingly benign garden centre companies with good environmental policies are owned by firms with less than clean ethical records.

Habitat destruction

Two major environmental issues surrounding garden centres are that of peat and timber use, and as a result, the larger garden centres in particular have received a lot of attention from campaign groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. This has led to more than half of the companies we looked at now having positive policies on these issues.

Peat

Lowland raised peat bog is a priority habitat under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and the EU Habitats Directive. As well as supporting rich biodiversity, peat bogs are also an important carbon sink. Peat bogs have reduced in size and quality over recent years, mainly due to the extraction of peat for use as a growing medium, although peat is also used as a fuel, for domestic use and in Irish and Russian power stations.(2) The UK Habitat Action Plan for lowland raised bogs has set a target, endorsed by the government, for reducing the use of peat in both professional and amateur sectors so that they are 90% peat free by 2010.(3) The table shows which of the companies have policies on peat. With the exception of Squires, all of these policies explicitly state that they aim to meet this target. As part of The Wildlife Trust's Peatlands Campaign it has produced a guide on where to buy peat-free compost which is available to download from its website or by ringing 01636 677711.

Timber

Most of the companies in this report have been criticised at some point for sourcing wood products from non-certified sources. Along with selling peat compost, this accounts for them all receiving a mark in the Habitats and Resources column on our main table. In recent years the sourcing of wood products from Indonesia has been highlighted by Greenpeace, which claims that illegal and destructive logging of Indonesian rainforests has driven endangered species to extinction. Many of the companies on the table have, in the past, sourced non-certified wood from Indonesia, where 88% of logging is illegal(4) All but three of the companies covered on the main table have wood sourcing policies in place and it is very encouraging that these policies, as can also be seen from the environmental policies table overleaf, are being well-implemented already, rather than being merely based on future targets.

*This refers to garden centre-specific products, mainly ceasing the sale of patio heaters, but in B&Q’s case it also refers to the fact that the company has recently signed a 3 year partnership with BioRegional to become a 1 Planet Living company. Part of this involves increasing locally sourced products, e.g. B&Q currently sells locally sourced BioRegional Charcoal.

Workers' Rights?

Campaigning on garden centres has tended to focus on environmental impacts, with workers' rights issues largely being ignored. However, this does not mean that these issues don't exist. In fact the lack of attention means that, as can be seen from the table, most companies don't have anything credible in place in terms of supply chain policies to address these problems.

One example of an industry associated with workers' rights problems is natural stone production. A recent report by SOMO on improving working conditions at Chinese natural stone companies visited a number of quarries and factories and identified serious health and safety problems. The work is heavy, often dusty and potentially dangerous by nature. In some areas there is a high risk of silicosis, an often fatal occupational disease caused by the accumulation of invisible particles of quartz in the lungs. Workers don't usually receive health and safety training to help minimise the risks. Protective equipment such as gloves, face masks and earplugs are rarely provided and regular cleaning to reduce dust levels isn't considered important. Safety nets, to protect workers from falling stones in quarries, aren't always used, and workers are often not provided with the appropriate equipment with which to move heavier stones.

Many companies don’t provide written employment contracts. The work is often paid on a piece-rate basis. Most companies operate seven days a week, apart from in ‘low periods’, typically 2-3 times a year, when migrant workers go home. Workers do not have a weekly day of rest, and overtime is a regular feature at many companies. Wages are not particularly low, the main complaint of workers is that overtime is not paid at a higher premium. However, many Chinese companies made it clear that for improvements to be monitored and implemented, foreign buyers, as well as local governments, have an important role to play.

Wyevale was still in the process of developing its supply chain policies at the time of writing, hence it receiving a worst rating, but interestingly is a member of the UK Quarry Working Group, the objective of which is ‘to develop a set of labour and environmental standards that UK-based companies would expect to find in the quarries in their global supply chain.’ None of the other companies covered appeared to be doing anything to address this issue in particular.

Human Rights

China is the biggest stone producer and the second biggest stone exporter in the world (after Italy). Many other garden products are sourced from China and the Far East – a long way to transport anything but especially these often heavy goods. China has been heavily criticised by campaigners for its poor track record on human rights and the country is on ECRA’s oppressive regimes list.

Two of the companies on the Burma campaign’s ‘dirty list’ make garden furniture, Britannic Garden Furniture Ltd and Scansia, so this is certainly something to look out for when shopping for such items, although we have not discovered any of the companies in this report selling Burmese products. Wyevale has been criticised for selling Burmese wood products in the past but has since stated that it would remove Burmese wood products from sale.(6)

Plants not Pets

Many of the companies we looked at received a mark in the animal rights column for selling animals. According to campaign group Animal Aid, selling pets in a garden centre environment encourages impulse purchases. People see ‘cute’ animals and buy them on the spur of the moment, without thinking of the long-term needs of the animals and the long-term responsibility that caring for an animal brings. The novelty of the new arrival soon wears off when it is recognised that he or she requires constant cleaning, attention and potentially expensive veterinary care. This frequently results in neglect, with animals forced to live in dirty or cramped conditions, often with no company from humans or their own kind. Many such unwanted animals end up at rescue centres, where there are thousands more already in need of good homes, meanwhile some garden centres continue to sell animals that have been purpose-bred for the pet trade. Ending the sale of live animals would not mean the closure of their pet departments, as they could continue to sell food and accessories. Rather than contributing to the cycle of animals being bred, bought and abandoned, garden centres should encourage people to adopt a companion animal from a local rescue centre.(7)

Both Focus and Wyevale have responded positively to campaigning by Animal Aid and have adopted policies of not selling pets (Wyevale receives a mark in the animal rights column due to the activities of its parent company). B&Q, Wickes and Homebase do not sell animals (Homebase receives marks in this column for other reasons). Klondyke, Strikes, Squires, Notcutts and Dobbies all sell animals. Animal Aid has called for supporters of its ‘Plants not Pets’ campaign to organise protests at garden centres which still sell pets.

Chemicals & Animal Testing

Many garden products, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides include toxic chemicals. Three of the companies on the table have effective policies on chemicals (see environmental policies table), however this doesn’t mean that they don’t sell any harmful products, merely that they have eliminated the most dangerous. Such chemicals are not only potentially harmful to wildlife in your garden but also to your own health, particularly if you are growing your own food.

Most chemical garden products will also have been tested on animals. Although European legislation does not specifically mandate animal testing for garden products, in practice the formal guidelines on the default testing methods for Directives such as the European Biocides Directive currently include animal tests.(15) None of the companies on the table have an effective animal testing policy in place in terms of their garden products. For both of these reasons it is probably best to avoid these chemicals altogether and grow organically.

There are a wide range of alternative techniques available to deal with pests, such as encouraging natural predators by planting particular plants that they are attracted to, e.g. hoverflies, whose young eat aphids, are attracted to all flowering plants but even more so to small-flowered herbs like wild mustard, coriander, dill, lupins, sunflower, and fennel.(8) The Vegan Organic Network has produced a guide on how to encourage beneficial beetles into your garden which feast on slugs, snails and caterpillars.

Garden Consumerism

For those who love their gardens it can be easy to get carried away with buying things for them e.g. furniture and ornaments. As with any other items such as clothes and household products, it may be worth asking yourself whether you need it before you buy it. Many things can be used as containers for plants and many garden centres, including Squires, run pot re-use schemes, reducing the need to buy new. Wyevale offers pot recycling in some centres and Dobbies intends to do so, but this refers to recycling rather than re-use. You can make your own ornaments, containers and even furniture from old wood and other ‘waste products’. As for plants – growing your own from seed is best as this reduces transportation and means you can ensure you aren’t buying plants grown in a peat-based medium. And remember – looks aren’t everything – a less manicured garden can be better for wildlife.

Support Your Local Independent Garden Centre

There are thousands of independent garden centres in the UK, far too many to rate in this report. This does not mean that they are not a better buy than the companies recommended here. In fact independent ownership avoids many of the criticisms on the table which result from complex parent company groups. Supporting an independent business also keeps money in the local economy and you are more likely to find locally sourced products as they are more likely to have relationships with local suppliers. Remember to look out for FSC wood, peat-free compost and other environmentally innovative products. If none are stocked then encourage them to do so – you could even give them a copy of this report to raise awareness of the issues. The Garden Centre Association website has a search function allowing you to find your nearest independent garden centre or phone 01993 871000 .

Price Comparison

We conducted a price comparison for a simple garden spade by taking the cheapest and most expensive from the companies covered and averaging them. The table is ordered from cheapest to most expensive.

It should be borne in mind however, that for some products, including those such as garden tools, buying the cheapest is often a false economy. Lower price can mean lower quality with products not lasting as long meaning you have to buy a new one sooner, which as well as costing money wastes the earth’s precious resources.

Links

• Garden Organic (formerly HDRA), the UK’s leading organic growing charity, dedicated to researching and promoting organic gardening, farming and food: www.gardenorganic.org.uk, Garden Organic Ryton, Coventry, Warwickshire, CV8 3LG, 024 7630 3517 enquiry@gardenorganic.org.uk
• Vegan Organic Network, promotes vegan-organics, a system of cultivation that avoids artificial chemicals and sprays, livestock manures and animal remains from slaughter houses: www.veganorganic.net, ‘Anandavan’ 58 High Lane, Chorlton cum Hardy, Manchester M21 9DZ
• The Permaculture Association, an educational charity which helps people use permaculture in their everyday lives to improve their quality of life and the environment around them. www.permaculture.org.uk, BCM Permaculture Association, London, WC1N 3XX, 0845 4581805, office@permaculture.org.uk
• Garden Centre Association, www.gca.org.uk, Leafield Technical Centre, Leafield, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX29 9EF, 01993 871000, info@gca.org.uk

References

1 www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/mar/22/food.gardens 2 www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A715637 3 The value of peat, Roger Meade, Senior Peatland Adviser, English Nature (undated) 4 ENDS magazine, Issue 35 June 2003 6 ENDS Report 363 April 2005 7 www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_pets/ALL/1547// 8 www.oisat.org/control_methods/natural_enemies/predators/hoverfly.htmlPAN Germany 9 CSR Asia Weekly:Vol 3 week 49, 5 May 2007 10 Hazards:99, July/September 2007, 23 November 2007 11 Advocates for Animals:April 2005, 28 April 2005 12 New York Times, May 1st 2008 13 War on Want communications and reports:Profiting from the Occupation: corporate complicity in Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people 14 Amnesty International:Human Rights & Business Pages: Forced Labour, February 2006 15 Dave Powell, BUAV 16 Kingfisher AR 2007 17 Labour Research, August 2004.