Growtivation has re-engineered its Weedtex and Landtex landscaping fabrics in a move to cut waste and carbon.
Delivering more sustainable solutions that lower carbon emissions and preserve resources is high on the agenda for every organisation in the built environment value chain, from developers and homeowners to installers, merchants and their suppliers. Landscape fabric specialist Growtivation states that it is rising to that challenging by re-engineering two of its landscaping fabrics to contain recycled material and, from the start of the year, its Weedtex weed control fabric and Landtex landscape fabric now contain 20% recycled content.
The Lancing-based company says it has been working to find the optimum recycled content for the two products. Operations Director Graham Elsey explained: “We carried out extensive testing on fabrics containing different proportions of the recycled content, while achieving the same performance.”
And while many ‘greener’ products come with a higher price tag, one of the important factors for Growtivation was to find a solution that could be delivered at the same price as its original product. Using 20% recycled content came out as the optimum proportion of recycled content for both performance and price.
Having already switched to 100% renewable energy, electric forklift trucks and low-energy lighting at its West Sussex headquarters and warehousing facility, Growtivation’s board tasked the technical team with finding ways to reduce the carbon emission associated with its products. The new versions of the Weedtex and Landtex fabrics are the first outputs from that programme.
As well as the need to lessen its own impact on the environment, Growtivation understands that its customers in the builders’ merchant sectors are committed to providing more sustainable products across the range of materials they offer. The Weedtex and Landtex rolls will be clearly labelled so that builders and landscape contractors can see their green credentials.
“As well as the need to lessen its own impact on the environment, Growtivation understands that its customers in the builders’ merchant sectors are committed to providing more sustainable products across the range of materials they offer.”
Sustainability credentials are important to homeowners too. A survey of UK consumers by Deloitte, published in October 2023, found that 62% thought that recycled materials was an important sustainability credential and 65% valued reducing waste in the manufacturing process as an environmentally sustainable or ethical practice.
The recycled content in the Weedtex and Landtex fabrics, which are made from polypropylene, will both reduce waste and the carbon footprints of the products. The manufacturing facility takes waste produced by its own and others’ production lines, re-granulates it and then combines it with virgin polypropylene to create the non-woven fabric.
With the ‘greener’ Weedtex and Landtex now out on builders’ merchant shelves, Growtivation’s technical team is looking for ways to include recycled content in some of the other products in the company’s range.
Graham added: “The important this for us is to always maintain the same performance. All Growtivation’s products are designed to be robust and long lasting, which also helps reduce carbon emissions and waste as the fabrics don’t get damaged in installation or need to be replaced a few years down the line, as a poorer quality product would.”
Click here for more information on Growtivation’s range of products and support services for merchants.
