Environmental Promises
Water, Energy Recycling and more.
Read all about our efforts at Ruxley Manor to reduce our carbon footprint and help the local community. From energy to the community, here at Ruxley Manor these things are now more important than ever.
Table of Contents
Energy Conservation
In 2013 a new biomass boiler was installed on site which allows us to turn our unwanted pallets and timber into energy that now supplies heat and hot water to both the Food Hall and The Mulberry Tree Restaurant.
November 2015 saw the installation of 723 solar panels which generate around 153,637.50 KWH to save around 27.7% of previous grid usage.
An Air Source Heat Pump has been installed to assist in heating the covered areas of the site, the offices and Grace’s Day Nursery – supported by central heating systems only when necessary.
Throughout the last three years we have installed over 580 LED lightbulbs throughout the centre further reducing our energy usage
- 723 Solar Panels providing renewable electricity to the site
- Biomass Boiler allows us to turn unwanted pallets and timber into heat
- 580 LED lights installed throughout site so far
- 83% of general waste is sent to a local recycling company for processing
- 80% of wood and timber is recycled or turned into energy
- 93% of cardboard waste is recycled
Recycling Initiatives
At present Ruxley Manor’s aim is to recycle as much as possible and to continue to reduce the amount that is sent to land fill sites.
Currently 83% of general waste is recycled with the help and support from a local recycling company. All of our green waste is composted in one of our two composting units that are on site.
80% of wood is recycled by either being sent to our local recycling depot, most wooden pallets are returned to our suppliers to re-use and any excess or waste timber is used in our Biomass Heater to provide heat to The Mulberry Tree Restaurant and the Food Hall.
With the investment of a cardboard compacting machine in 2008 we are now able to recycle 93% of our cardboard waste.
Water Conservation
In the early 1980s an investment was made in building two water storage reservoirs, these collect all of our surface and rainwater.
These reservoirs now supply 40% of all the water we use on site for watering the plants, a further reservoir is planned to be constructed in the future which will allow us to use even less mains water.
We also take an active role in encouraging our customers to recycle water in their gardens by offering for sale a range of water-saving products including water butts, moisture-retaining compost and container gel which can help to reduce watering throughout the season.
We routinely promote the benefits of drought-resistant plants as a green-fingered solution to any water shortages that may arise. Many plants which originated from arid environments are well-evolve to cope with the challenges of dry conditions and many can positively thrive. Our knowledgeable plant experts are happy to advise customers on their choice of plants.
- On-site reservoirs supply over 40% of water used for watering plants.
- Water saving and recycling products and expertise available in-store.
- Promote drought-resistant plants less needing of frequent watering
Outdoor Plants Department
- Plants are watered from our on-site reservoir
- Low energy LED lighting throughout the department
- Majority of our plastic plant pots and trays will be kerbside recyclable by 2020
To reduce our impact on the environment, our Outdoor Plants Department has a range of conservation initiatives in place and is always looking for more ways of reducing our environmental impact.
Our plants are watered from our on-site reservoir, built in the 1980s, to reduce our demand on mains supply. We also recycle irrigation water throughout the department.
We favour suppliers who provide recyclable packaging and are in conversation with those who don’t to ensure that an ever increasing proportion of our plastic trays and pots are kerbside recyclable.
All of our cardboard (around 375 tonnes a year) is baled in our compactor and sent to a Kentish paper mill for recycling.
Low-energy lighting is being installed throughout the centre and are, as much as possible, powered by the 723 solar panels on our warehouse roof.
Peat Reduction
Ruxley Manor recognises that the use of peat in growing media has a limited future; we feel it is essential to offer a peat-free option to limit the exploitation of new peat bogs. We are therefore working to promote the sale of reduced peat products in line with the current government guidelines.
Our aim is to continue to reduce the amount of peat used in the making of compost with the on-going support from our suppliers.
With the work that we have done to date we are able to offer an excellent range of composts and soil conditioners with either reduced peat content or with no peat content, these products instead use sustainable alternatives or recycled material.
- Provide an excellent range of reduced peat or peat free growing media
- Working closely with suppliers to consistently reduce peat products
- All our suppliers provide us with their FSC Certification
- Our timber products have their FSC logo and category clearly displayed on their packaging or labels
Forest Stewardship Council
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the worlds forests. Every year an area half the size of the UK is cleared of natural forests. Sixty million indigenous people and countless species of plants and animals are wholly dependent on forests to live and forests support up to 1.6 billion of the poorest people in the world.
The FSC system has developed three categories of certified product and the category of every product is clearly identified on its product label:
- FSC 100%: all the timber or fibre in the product comes from and FSC-certified forest.
- FSC recycled: all the timber or fibre in the product is post-consumer reclaimed material.
- FSC mixed sources: the timber or fibre in the product is a mixture of various sources (please see www.fsc-uk.org.uk for further information).
Supporting Bees
Bees play a vital role in the pollination of not only the crops we farm and eat but also wild vegetation. They are responsible for production of many seeds, nuts, berries, and fruit, which all support our ecosystem as a whole and serve as a vital food source for wild animals.
As well as food, these areas provide natural habitats for many different wild animals, bugs and birds helping support life and encouraging biodiversity.
In an effort to support bees, the Royal Horticultural Society have undertaken extensive studies to understand the optimal plants for pollinators in our gardens. They have created this logo to help you identify plants and flowers that will support pollinators in your garden.
For more information on how you can support bees in your garden, speak to one of our team who can advise you.
To further support our local bees, we have close ties with The Ruxley Beekeepers who supply local honey to our Food Hall and regularly attend events in the centre to teach people more about bees and their care.
- Plant Growth – bees transfer pollen to each flower, fertilising the plant so it can grow
- Honey sold in The Food Hall comes from Ruxley Beekeepers
- Chosen charity selected by employee vote
- Support with fundraising activities, awareness initiatives and employee volunteering
- Run a free-to-enter community competition
Commitment to the Community
We recently decided to nominate a new charity to support here at Ruxley. This was a decision based on our staff nominating charities that meant something to them and help spark more enthusiasm when fundraising for these specific causes. We are now supporting We Are Beams.
We are hoping to start a charity committee, in which are our staff can help Ruxley to organise fundraising events and to also help raise awareness in general for these charities at our staff functions and public events in store.
Ruxley in Bloom is our annual gardening competition, previously run by the Bexley Council. Local residents and schools in a 15 mile radius of Ruxley Manor can enter the competition for free. The aim of competition is to encourage people to brighten their outdoor spaces. This is proven good for mental health and also gives individuals and local communities an opportunity to work together to bring about change. There is a selection of prizes to win and it really is a great community event for all involved .
