This includes increasing the use of responsibly sourced materials for building and repair work, developing a green space strategy for our grounds maintenance, phasing out diesel vehicles where possible and ensuring we find green ways to manage any waste we produce.
We’re currently piloting some positive changes to how we manage our grassed areas in a more sympathetic approach to the environment.
We’re experimenting with a reduction in the number of cuts on some of our open grassed areas.
Historically we’ve cut the grass in our open spaces every 10 working days between March and October (weather permitting) to keep it to a low height and looking the way people have expected.
The problem with maintaining areas, especially larger ones, at this frequency and height of cut was that we were effectively creating ‘green deserts’ that looked neat and tidy but didn’t provide any benefits to the environment.
We looked at several recommended mowing systems and are to move to cutting every 20 working days with an increased height of cut, which is best suited for encouraging low growing wildflower and pollinators on our open areas.
The perimeter of all areas will be maintained to a high standard to prevent encroachment onto footpaths.
We will check grassed areas to make decisions about the best time to cut. Key areas where growth would be inappropriate will continue to be maintained as normal, such as sports pitches, play areas and ornamental grass.
What are the benefits of these changes?
Reducing our carbon production
Scientists use the terms ‘carbon sink’ and ‘carbon source’ to describe different environmental systems. For the benefit of the environment, we need more sinks and less sources.
Mowing our open spaces every 20 working days helps to make them a carbon sink which means they store more carbon than we produce during the mowing process.
Another added benefit of the new cutting cycle is that we’ve seen a significant reduction in dog fouling and litter on the larger areas and by increasing the height of cut we are not creating excessive mess from cuttings.
Decreasing pollution
The less frequent cuts mean we’ll be reducing pollution and the use of machinery.
We will be moving from using petrol-powered equipment which produce high carbon emissions to battery-powered equipment which have the added bonus of being quieter too. The majority of our grounds maintenance teams have made this change and the rest will be doing the same in due course.
Improving biodiversity
The reduction in mowing is great for insects and wildlife as well. Recent studies by the Wildlife Trust have shown that there has been a staggering reduction of 65% of all flying insects in England in the last 20 years. These include pollinators essential to the production of fruits and vegetables of all types. This rapid reduction then has an impact on the birds and mammals whose diet they form part of.
By reducing the number of grass cuttings, we’ll encourage the growth of wildflowers – attracting bees and other insects and wildlife to the area providing habitat and increased pollen sources.
What other steps are you taking?
In response to requests from customers, we have also stopped using Glyphosate-based herbicides to control weeds, as have other organisations, as part of a drive to improve biodiversity and local ecosystems.
We are now using organic products where essential although we first try and remove weeds mechanically.
Also, when we remove green waste from sites we take it to recycling centres where it is used in the production of biomass fuels and soil improver.
Get in touch
We appreciate that these changes may take some time to get used to, but they will be hugely beneficial for the environment and safeguard our biodiversity for the coming generations.
Please be reassured that this will not affect the way that we maintain open plan gardens and smaller open spaces which will continue to be cut approximately every 10 working days between March and October.
We will be in touch if these changes are going to affect your area but if you would like to know more then please contact our Customer Services Team on 0808 164 0111 or email info@karbonhomes.co.uk.
Stay tuned throughout #NetZeroWeek to find out more about our response to climate change.
This includes increasing the use of responsibly sourced materials for building and repair work, developing a green space strategy for our grounds maintenance, phasing out diesel vehicles where possible and ensuring we find green ways to manage any waste we produce.
We’re currently piloting some positive changes to how we manage our grassed areas in a more sympathetic approach to the environment.
We’re experimenting with a reduction in the number of cuts on some of our open grassed areas.
Historically we’ve cut the grass in our open spaces every 10 working days between March and October (weather permitting) to keep it to a low height and looking the way people have expected.
The problem with maintaining areas, especially larger ones, at this frequency and height of cut was that we were effectively creating ‘green deserts’ that looked neat and tidy but didn’t provide any benefits to the environment.
We looked at several recommended mowing systems and are to move to cutting every 20 working days with an increased height of cut, which is best suited for encouraging low growing wildflower and pollinators on our open areas.
The perimeter of all areas will be maintained to a high standard to prevent encroachment onto footpaths.
We will check grassed areas to make decisions about the best time to cut. Key areas where growth would be inappropriate will continue to be maintained as normal, such as sports pitches, play areas and ornamental grass.
What are the benefits of these changes?
Reducing our carbon production
Scientists use the terms ‘carbon sink’ and ‘carbon source’ to describe different environmental systems. For the benefit of the environment, we need more sinks and less sources.
Mowing our open spaces every 20 working days helps to make them a carbon sink which means they store more carbon than we produce during the mowing process.
Another added benefit of the new cutting cycle is that we’ve seen a significant reduction in dog fouling and litter on the larger areas and by increasing the height of cut we are not creating excessive mess from cuttings.
Decreasing pollution
The less frequent cuts mean we’ll be reducing pollution and the use of machinery.
We will be moving from using petrol-powered equipment which produce high carbon emissions to battery-powered equipment which have the added bonus of being quieter too. The majority of our grounds maintenance teams have made this change and the rest will be doing the same in due course.
Improving biodiversity
The reduction in mowing is great for insects and wildlife as well. Recent studies by the Wildlife Trust have shown that there has been a staggering reduction of 65% of all flying insects in England in the last 20 years. These include pollinators essential to the production of fruits and vegetables of all types. This rapid reduction then has an impact on the birds and mammals whose diet they form part of.
By reducing the number of grass cuttings, we’ll encourage the growth of wildflowers – attracting bees and other insects and wildlife to the area providing habitat and increased pollen sources.
What other steps are you taking?
In response to requests from customers, we have also stopped using Glyphosate-based herbicides to control weeds, as have other organisations, as part of a drive to improve biodiversity and local ecosystems.
We are now using organic products where essential although we first try and remove weeds mechanically.
Also, when we remove green waste from sites we take it to recycling centres where it is used in the production of biomass fuels and soil improver.
Get in touch
We appreciate that these changes may take some time to get used to, but they will be hugely beneficial for the environment and safeguard our biodiversity for the coming generations.
Please be reassured that this will not affect the way that we maintain open plan gardens and smaller open spaces which will continue to be cut approximately every 10 working days between March and October.
We will be in touch if these changes are going to affect your area but if you would like to know more then please contact our Customer Services Team on 0808 164 0111 or email info@karbonhomes.co.uk.
Stay tuned throughout #NetZeroWeek to find out more about our response to climate change.
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