A new industry report, commissioned by the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group (OHRG), to establish the total size, breadth and contribution of the UK’s ornamental horticulture and landscaping sector, has revealed that landscape services generated a total of £11.6bn GDP contributions in 2017, 47.9% of the total GDP footprint of the sector (55% of which were direct contributions worth £6.8bn). The British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), a member of the commissioning group, is now calling on government officials to give meaningful support to landscaping in the UK.

BALI, the leading trade association for the UK’s landscape professionals, says landscape services, which includes domestic and commercial construction, design and private and public grounds maintenance, also provides £880m in direct annual tax revenue to the Exchequer; this figure increases to £2.2bn when wider landscaping activities are included. Landscape services is one of seven industries covered by the report.

It’s no secret that the UK government is picking up the pace regarding its drive for a cleaner, eco-friendlier tomorrow. Hence, the Clean Growth Strategy.

The Clean Growth Strategy was assembled by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), but if you don’t have the time to read through it, we’ve covered the essentials here. Just read on for a summary of the strategy’s key points, and what they mean for UK homes and businesses.  

What is it?

Ten years ago, the UK presented the Climate Change Act. This was an important move across the world, as the UK subsequently became the first nation in the world to self-impose a legally binding carbon reduction target. And this was no small challenge — the UK aims to lower greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels).

Industrial shredder specialist UNTHA UK has once again secured a hat-trick of ISO recertifications, with zero major or minor non-conformances.

The North Yorkshire headquartered business originally achieved the prestigious ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental) and OHSAS 18001 (health and safety) standards back in early 2014. But when newer and more stringent ISO rules were introduced in 2015, the team was given a three-year transition period to demonstrate an even greater degree of compliance excellence.

Sanoh UK Manufacturing has invested in new shredding technology that will pay for itself in less than 18 months, due to the cost savings it will achieve for the wider business.

The company invested in an UNTHA RS40 shredder to tackle the surplus metal it generates during the production of brake and fuel pipes for the automotive industry. These component parts must be formed into specific shapes to suit the ergonomics of different vehicles, which naturally creates ‘offcuts’ of extremely obscure shapes.

Macclesfield-based Tidy Planet has partnered with Spanish energy generation specialists SUGIMAT to become the UK’s exclusive distributor of their industry-leading boilers.

With 40 years’ experience, SUGIMAT is a company which is globally renowned for its commitment to innovation in the thermal and power generation arena. Their waste, biomass and cogeneration boilers create energy under environmentally compliant conditions – burning either conventional or non-conventional fuels for maximum heat and minimal ecological impact.

Riverdale Paper has invested in a new UNTHA QR shredder to support the company’s business diversification.

The Gateshead firm quickly established itself as the North East’s leading paper recycler. But contracts with some of the UK’s largest commercial organisations in retail, financial services and public arenas, has seen demand for Riverdale’s wider expertise grow.

Now, the team is being increasingly tasked with tackling plastic waste including polypropylene, HDPE and pre-consumer material from the automotive industry, to name just a few. With volumes of around five tonnes per week, the QR1700 therefore made for the perfect purchase.

Food waste and Energy-from-Waste (EfW) expert Tidy Planet has appointed technical public relations specialist Scriba PR to help fuel its 2018 growth strategy.

Specialising in organic waste management solutions, the company has become internationally renowned for supplying innovative, waste-recycling products. This has seen the firm develop bespoke solutions for household names such as Gatwick Airport, DHL, BP and Liz Earle Beauty Co., to name just a few.

With 17 years’ experience in the organic waste recycling and EfW sector and an expanding portfolio of international clients, Tidy Planet is now looking to further raise its industry profile through a strategic communications collaboration with the B2B agency.

The Valli Group of Opticians has become the first company in the UK to offer a contact lens recycling scheme and it has come at just the right time for Holmfirth’s Rosalyn Raine.

Rosalyn decided to embark on a #plasticfreeweek in January but couldn’t find anywhere to recycle her contact lenses.