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Sustainability

Dobies is committed to conducting its business in an ethical, socially responsible and environmentally sustainable manner.

Dobies has built a reputation for supplying the highest quality seeds, plants & equipment for over 100 years, and our customers expect our products to be ethically sourced and sustainable.

With climate change rightfully at the forefront of everyone's minds, awareness is rising across the globe and momentum continues to build. Whilst there is still time to change the direction we're headed, there is no doubt that the time to act is now. Individuals and companies are making changes in their own lives and businesses but are not always clear what actions they can take to make a real difference.

Our Sustainability Journey

As one of the leading seed, plant & gardening supplies businesses in the UK, we are committed to doing our bit to help the planet and be as asustainable as possible. We're on a good path to where we would like to be and we're getting greener with each step, but there are still lots of opportunities where we can improve. Below are a few ways we have already improved our operations over the last few years.

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Peat Free

Why being peat-free matters

Peat has always been much used for horticulture for its ability to retain water and nutrients, but the extraction of peat from the earth has taken its toll.

Peat bogs are very much the little know heroes of nature. Peat bogs act as a carbon store, so when the peat is extracted and breaks down in our gardens it releases CO2 which would have been locked up for tens of thousands of years. Peat bogs are also a fantastic habitat for wildlife, they play an active role in water management, and even preserve extremely well, making amazing finds for archaeologists!

The problem is that peat bog mass is being extracted at 60 times faster than it's being laid down… Which makes it an unsustainable resource.

Dobies home grown plants are 100% peat-free

"We've switched to a 100% peat-free compost in our own nursery in Devon and are proud to be one of the first commercial growers to have achieved this milestone. This means that next year we'll be growing close to 1 million plants in peat-free compost."

"In addition, we've also worked closely with our growing partners to remove peat from all our value and garden ready flower plug plants."

"So, this year 95% of the compost used to grow our plants will be peat-free and we're talking to our partners to remove that final 5% as soon as possible."

How you can make a difference

You can help by buying peat-free compost for use in your own garden or allotment, and by encouraging retailers and the Government in their efforts to phase out the use of peat in gardening products. The best place to start is with our Grochar seed compost. Grochar was inspired by 2000 -year old Amazonian Indians who used charred plant matter to enrich their soil! This compost is 100% peat free so a great way to instantly positively impact the environment and not compromise on quality.

Poly Wraps

To help reduce Dobies plastic waste, we have moved to "naked" or paper wraps on our when we mail out our catalogues. This is something which, until now, has been necessary to ensure your catalogue arrives undamaged, but paper wraps have removed that need.

RedEye