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.
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.
We recycle at our nursey in Devon wherever possible and also ensure we recycle in our warehouse & office space. We have even introduced a worm farm which breaks down our kitchen waste! During 2020 we upgraded our delivery pots from unrecyclable black to recyclable grey plastic.
We invested £200k in solar panels to cover our warehouse roof. We also converted all our office lighting over to LED panels, which have a higher energy rating and contribute towards being net contributors of electricity.
Dobies use FSC certified paper suppliers, where possible, for our office supplies and promotional material. We are continually looking to introduce more FSC accredited, sustainable products into our Dobies range wherever we can. The FSC system allows businesses and consumers to identify, purchase and use wood, paper and other forest products made with materials from well-managed forests and/or recycled sources.
Neonicotinoids are a type of insecticide which are toxic to invertebrates. They also have a negative impact on many other insects which are beneficial to plants and the environment. In Autumn 2017, Dobies stopped using all neonicotinoid pesticides at our nursery in Devon.
We have now completely converted to 100% peat-free compost in our own Devon nursery and we are very proud to be one of the first commercial growers to have achieved this important environmental milestone. So next year we will be growing nearly 1 million plants in peat-free compost.
Dobies deliver about 1.2 million catalogues per year to our customers, these were originally wrapped in single-use plastic. However, we have now moved to paper wraps (or nothing at all) on our catalogues and we use plant-based pillows to protect our products on delivery.
We have achieved The Planet Mark sustainability certification, which we are very proud of. It recognises the improvements, encourages action, and builds a community of empowered like-minded people and businesses. Dobies are always work hard towards additional accreditations.
Growing our own greatly reduces transport emissions as we also reduce the need for suppliers to make long-distance journeys. As we grow so many plants at our nursery in Devon, we have the best possible control over every detail of our live products.
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.
“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.”
David Robinson,
Managing Director, Dobies.
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. To give you a helping hand, we’ve discounted our peat-free compost by 5% as a thank you for doing your bit. Click here to find out more.
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.
We are also committed to using compostable plant-based polymer “pillows” as parcel fillers to ensure the safe transit of our products through the post.
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