Most of us want to do what we can to protect the planet, be it setting up a home compost or searching for environmentally friendly products on the supermarket shelf. But sometimes it can be difficult getting access to practical environmental solutions.
Passionate about their role in creating a greener future for people and the planet, the team at Kings Plant Barn have introduced a number of eco initiatives to help Kiwis on their environmental journey. The recently opened Kings Plant Barn Stonefields is building a reputation as the most sustainable garden centre in New Zealand, thanks to a number of ingenious initiatives and forward- thinking designs.
Sustainability is, quite literally, built into the building. Large solar panels – 314 square metres to be exact – line the external walls of the store, which provides enough energy to power the store all day long. Sustainable materials, such as local timbers and fixtures, form the basis of the building’s structure, while water is cleverly reused through a smart irrigation system. The Kings Plant Barn Stonefields team have also embraced the latest in EV technology, using a fleet of electric forklifts and vehicles.
Swap-a-Pot is a fantastic initiative across all Kings Plant Barn stores that helps cut down on plastic waste. Customers are encouraged to visit the Swap-a-Pot station to return any pots and take used plastic pots and punnets when needed for planting, repotting, seed sowing or even arts and crafts.
Kings Plant Barn has also set up plant label recycling boxes, which sees almost all of their plant tags processed and recycled into plastic mouldings to be used in construction, and every store has Nespresso pod collection pods for composting and recycling coffee capsules.
You can even return your soft plastics, such as garden mix and fertiliser bags, thanks to Kings Plant Barn’s new partnership with Future Post. The award- winning company is tackling the plastic problem by turning plastic waste into premium fence posts that are used across a range of industries. This new partnership sees soft plastic recycling bins set up in Kings Plant Barn stores across Auckland.
Kings Plant Barn’s many environmental initiatives have seen them awarded an Enviromark Gold Certification by Toitu EnviroCare, which not only recognises their efforts, but holds them accountable to the highest standards. These are just some of the many steps Kings Plant Barn is taking towards a greener future.
To learn more, visit kings.co.nz
