Our Sustainability Plan
Our Environmental Commitment
As a proud, family-run garden centre with our roots firmly in Cornwall, we’re passionate about protecting the environment and supporting our local community. We recognise that sustainability is an ongoing journey, and we’re committed to improving every year — reducing our impact, working responsibly, and doing our part to care for the planet we call home.
Peat-Free Ambition
As a responsible retailer, we fully support the national vision to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of peat in horticulture.
We’ve partnered with leading global brand Levington to help accelerate this important movement. By 2024, our goal is to be completely peat-free across all of our retail offerings — ensuring our composts, soil mixes, and growing media support healthy plant growth without harming valuable peatland ecosystems.
Peatlands are vital for capturing carbon and preserving biodiversity, so going peat-free is one of the most meaningful ways we can contribute to a more sustainable future for gardening.
Sustainable Palm Oil Pledge
In 2022, we made a pledge with the Wild Planet Trust, becoming a recognised Sustainable Palm Oil Champion. This means we’ve committed to auditing our suppliers and their products, ensuring that wherever palm oil is used, it comes from sustainable, ethical sources.
What Is Palm Oil?
Palm oil is the world’s most widely used vegetable oil, derived from the fruit of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). It’s found in many everyday products — from food items like ice cream, chocolate, crisps, cereals, and baked goods to personal care products such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and cosmetics.
Why Sustainable Palm Oil Matters
The global demand for palm oil is a major driver of deforestation, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia. Forests are often cleared through deliberate burning to make way for palm plantations — destroying habitats and threatening countless species.
This deforestation leads to:
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The loss of vital ecosystems for endangered animals such as orangutans, tigers, and elephants
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Increased carbon emissions from forest fires
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Human-wildlife conflict as animals are displaced from their natural homes
By pledging to support sustainable palm oil, we aim to make a positive difference — helping to protect wildlife, preserve rainforests, and promote ethical production practices worldwide.
Reducing Our Carbon Footprint
We take active steps each year to minimise our carbon footprint and reduce waste across all areas of our business.
Recycling and Waste Reduction
In 2021, we invested in a cardboard and plastic baler, which has significantly reduced our general waste output. In our restaurant, we also work closely with local partners to recycle food waste and cooking oils, ensuring they’re reused responsibly rather than sent to landfill.
Solar Energy for a Greener Future
In 2023, we proudly installed solar panels across our garden centre — an exciting step forward in our sustainability journey. Harnessing renewable solar energy helps us cut down on traditional power use and run our operations more cleanly and efficiently.
By switching to solar, we’re:
- Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels
- Lowering our carbon emissions
- Supporting the UK’s transition to greener energy
- Ensuring a more sustainable future for Newquay and beyond
Thank you to all our customers and partners who continue to support us in building a greener, more sustainable Newquay Garden Centre.