Environmental Pledge

Coolings Environmental Pledge

At Coolings we are aiming to be the ‘greenest’ retailer in the UK and the environment is at the heart of our business. In order to achieve this aim, we have put together a series of commitments all centred around conserving and protecting our environment.

Reducing our overall use of non-renewable resources

Increasing environmental awareness amongst our visitors
Utilising the most energy efficient solutions wherever possible
Avoiding the use of harmful chemicals such as chlorine
Making use of both traditional and modern technologies in search of the most environmentally friendly solutions
Promoting the importance of wildlife and educating visitors on encouraging it to thrive in their gardens
Recycling over 90% of our waste to ensure the bare minimum is sent to landfill
Reducing the ‘carbon miles’ of our products by ensuring we source locally and also sell organic produce where possible
Only selling Forest Stewardship Council certified wooden furniture, ensuring the timber is sourced responsibly
Encouraging children to understand the importance of our environment and it’s protection and conservation
Sourcing ‘home grown’ plants where possible, fresh from our own local nursery in Knockholt or from British growers

Our reservoirs at Coolings The Gardener's Garden Centre, Rushmore Hill

Our plastic recycling scheme

Our reservoirs at Coolings The Gardener's Garden Centre, Rushmore Hill

Winning the KEiBA Commitment to the Environment Award in 2019

Head Chef at Arthurs, Tom Williams, and Bedding and Operations Director, Ian Hazon, picking the first harvest from our Plot to Plate allotment.

Our Recycling Area at Coolings, Rushmore Hill

Did You Know?

We recycle 2 domestic garages worth of glass and paper each year
Annually we recycle 4 transits worth of scrap metal
Over 20 tonnes of cardboard is recycled annually (that’s about 10 black Rhinos!)
Approximately 6 Olympic sized swimming pools worth of rainwater is harvested and used on site every year
We compost more than 2 shipping containers worth of green waste per annum
We’ve been growing plants for over 100 years and 6 full time growers on site means less imported pests/diseases
We grow thousands of plants on our on-site nursery meaning no transportation is required, reducing our carbon footprint

Coolings and the Environment At Coolings we are aiming to be the ‘greenest’ retailer in the UK and the environment is at the heart of our business. In order to achieve this aim here are some of the ways we are great at being green!

We were delighted to be crowned WINNERS of the 2019 KEIBA Commitment to the Environment Award

General Coolings aim is to always be a leader as an environmentally sound business. As a business we aim to have the least impact on the environment as possible. • Motion detectors have been installed on all lighting in the back office areas and rest rooms. This way lights are only on when people are in the rooms • Energy efficient hand dryers are in the restrooms. This reduces the use of paper towels and linen towels again being more ecologically efficient

Water

We collect water from the roofs of buildings, glasshouses, polythene tunnels and run off from irrigation and pipe it to our two reservoirs. The total capacity of both reservoirs is 6.7 million litres (1.3 million gallons). This allows us to be less dependent on hard tap water and also reduces our dependency on precious water resources.
The extensive use of drip irrigation and sub-irrigation, with plants taking up their water requirement through capillary action, conserves our precious water reserves. This also results in stronger, healthier plant growth with less need for chemical sprays

Green Waste

Prunings, spent compost, dead plants and coffee shop vegetable waste is put on a compost pile to rot down for use as a soil improver. We do not pot plants with this product, but mulch flowerbeds and incorporate it prior to planting. This is also sold to our customers as a low cost alternative soil improver
Recycle Banks

We have bottle and clothing recycle banks at both our sites, fully accessible to the public. The coffee shops also use this facility to further reduce their waste, recycling all glass bottles and tins used.

Solar Heating

Arthurs coffee shop has solar heating panels which are used to assist in heating the hot water for the wash room facilities. This helps in reducing the resources needed to provide hot water and relies on renewable energy. A read out of roof temperature is situated adjacent to the ladies toilet door in Arthurs.

Paper and printing

Our regular newsletter sent to over 29,600 customers is now sent in 100% managed forest envelopes helping to reduce the impact on the environment out newsletter has. All trees removed to produce our envelopes are replaced. All staff are also encouraged to keep paper use to a minimum.

Cardboard / Plastic Recycling

Plastic and cardboard is bailed and recycled. This is then collected and recycled to be reused. In 2010 many tonnes of plastic and cardboard was saved from going to landfill.

Coolings Lifestyle our sister site is one of the most environmentally friendly garden centres in the country!

Listed below is just some of the areas where Coolings Lifestyle reduces its impact on the environment.

• Biomass boiler for heating. The boiler burns any wood waste material from green garden waste through to waste pallets. This reduces the carbon footprint by reducing the sites need for fossil fuels.
• The walls are insulated with straw bales. These give great insulation whilst being a green product.
• Roof insulation is significantly thicker than industry standards allowing for less heating requirements in the winter and less need to cool the building in summer.
• Rain water is recycled to be used for flushing of toilets and irrigation on site
• Reclaimed timber has been used for the flooring which not only means it is used twice, it has less impact on the environment than concrete.
• Clay pavers have also been used for the flooring. These have been sourced locally reducing carbon miles and much better than concrete.
• Under floor heating has been used throughout the building. This is cheaper to run in the long term and also more efficient at heating.