ENVIRONMENTAL, SUSTAINABILITY & RESPONSIBILITY
All of our chainsaws run on Aspen green fuels which contains no lead, benzene, sulphur or aromatics, which can cause leukaemia, nervous disorders, irritation to breathing and other health problems.
This benefits the environment as it significantly cuts emissions, minimising sulphur emissions which damage the environment by polluting waterways with acidification and reducing other emissions therefore decreasing ground level ozone (smog) improving air quality.
This is a significant benefit considering the importance of preserving the environment and ecosystem for generations to come. The use of Aspen benefits the health of our employees and any bystanders on site who breathe in less toxic fumes and we are also an authorised dealer of Aspen fuels so we can supply the local community so they can also benefit from using cleaner fuels.
We use ‘Eco plug Max’ sealed glyphosate unit as opposed to liquid wherever possible where it is necessary to apply herbicide. As they are a sealed unit there is no risk of damage to surrounding trees, vegetation and waterways.
They also meet the requirements of the Sustainable Use Directive to minimise herbicide use and the Water Framework Directive to prevent contamination of waterways with Pesticides.
They are far safer to use where there are children and animals about and especially in AONB’s this would ensure minimum disruption. When watering newly planted trees we use our own harvested rainwater wherever possible. Not only is this better for the tree but also means we don’t exacerbate the depletion of local water reserves.
We regularly partner with local schools and colleges, not only to provide work experience but also to assist in environmental projects. We encourage further such projects, especially with local charities.
Our vehicles are tracked which enables us to plan routes to minimise fuel usage and emissions and also identify and non-efficient driving practice.
We have a ‘zero to landfill’ policy for our arboricultural arisings. All brushwood is chipped (which can be left on site at clients request) and either used for biomass in the electricity generating industry or stored for use as mulch for planting. Also, at clients request some debris can be stacked on site as habitat piles.
It is our policy to remove all waste from site and return it to our base for recycling unless instructed otherwise. We have invested heavily in the past few years to improve our waste management, in line with our ISO14001:2004 certification.
We installed our own sawmill and wood workshop and built storage for timber, logs and chip in order to make better use of the ‘waste’ we produce. For our efforts, in 2012 we were a finalist in the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards (Green Champion Category).
