Sustainability
Sustainability at Raglan Garden Centre
Sustainability at Raglan Garden Centre
At Raglan, we are proud of the steps we are taking to become more environmentally conscious and sustainable. We have introduced a green policy and are actively reducing our impact on the environment through mindful product sourcing, efficient waste management, and lowering our carbon footprint across every area of the business.
Sustainability is a shared responsibility here. Every decision we make is guided by environmental awareness, and our staff are proud ambassadors for the natural world. We provide eco-friendly gardening solutions to our customers and actively support our local community in its efforts to improve our shared environment.
Becoming Energy Sufficient
We have installed our first solar panels, marking a significant step in our sustainability journey. With 300 panels now in place, we generate an average of 90,000 kW per year – covering around a third of our electricity consumption. The environmental benefits are already clear: in the first 30 days alone, we reduced carbon emissions by 735 kg, the equivalent of planting 45 trees.
Peat Free
Over 95% of our composts are peat free. Gardening should be both enjoyable and rewarding. We aim to offer the best possible products to help you succeed in the garden, but we also recognise the long-term effects of our choices on the environment. Peat-based composts offer a proven growing medium, but they are known to damage habitats and release stored carbon. We actively promote peat-free alternatives and are proud that the vast majority of what we stock reflects that commitment.
Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycle.
At Raglan, waste is not an end product — it’s an opportunity. We compact plastics and paper for recycling and work with a trusted, audited waste management company to ensure our waste is handled in the most environmentally responsible way possible.
We also encourage our customers to reduce their own waste. A dedicated recycling point in our car park allows customers to return unwanted taupe pots and trays, ensuring they are properly recycled rather than ending up in landfill.
Cardboard – No cardboard box leaves our site heading for landfill. Boxes are made available at our payment desks for customers to reuse, and any remaining cardboard is baled on-site for recycling. We set a target of recycling or repurposing 95% of all cardboard by 2023 – we exceeded it, and now we’re aiming for 100%.
Glass – We recycle all bottles, jars, and broken glassware. Our glass recycling forecast for 2025 was an impressive 6,000 litres, and for 2026 our forecast is _______
Food Waste – Since 2023, all of our food waste is sent to an anaerobic digestion plant, where it is converted into renewable energy and organic fertiliser. We’re not just reducing our carbon footprint – we’re helping fuel the growth of your next garden purchase.
Cooking Oil – Our busy restaurant generates a significant amount of waste cooking oil. We now have this collected by a specialist oil recovery team, who recycle it into bio-based diesel – a low-cost, low-carbon fuel with a meaningful impact on greenhouse gas emissions. We’re proud that our recycling can contribute to reducing carbon on a broader scale.
Sourcing
We are only as good as the products we sell. Where we can, we source locally – whether that’s plants, food, or furniture. In fact, 80% of our plants are grown in the UK, from trusted suppliers with environmentally sound businesses. In our food hall, we prioritise local suppliers to reduce food miles, and we love championing the brilliant small brands in our area.
When sourcing garden furniture, we look for suppliers who use sustainable materials such as wood or recycled plastics. For our Christmas displays, we actively avoid plastic, favouring glass, wood, and resin ornaments instead. When we refurbished the Sugarloaf Restaurant in 2020, we sourced chairs made from recycled fishing nets – and we now offer those same chairs for sale. This approach to conscious purchasing runs across everything we buy. We constantly seek out quality sustainable products built to last.
When we refurbished the Sugarloaf Restaurant in 2020 we sourced chairs made from recycled fishing nets and we now offer these chairs for sale. This conscious purchasing is not limited to these areas but is across the buying board. We constantly seek to source quality sustainable products with longevity.
Keeping the food we serve local, fresh & sustainable
Meet Our Suppliers
- Milk & eggs – Raglan Dairy – sourced just down the road from cows and chickens living happily nearby.
- Meat – Farmers Pantry Butchers, Llantwit Major – ethically farmed and sustainably reared.
- Fresh fruit & veg – Alex Jones, Goytre – a family-run wholesaler supplying the best local produce.
- Handmade cakes from Nos Da Bakery, Bettws – using locally sourced ingredients and delivered in reduced packaging.
- Coffee beans from James Gourmet Coffee, Ross-on-Wye – high-quality beans, ground fresh on site.
- Chilled, ambient & sundries from Castell Howell, Llanelli – committed to supplying regional produce.
By choosing local, we’re not only providing our customers with the freshest, tastiest ingredients, but we’re also cutting food miles and supporting ethical farming. Delicious, sustainable, and local – all year long!
Packaging
Reducing plastic waste is integral to our business and shapes our purchasing decisions. No plastic bags. No plastic straws. No single-use plastic, wherever we can avoid it. To be transparent: we would like to be entirely single-use plastic free, but until biodegradable alternatives are available for all gardening products, some plastic remains unavoidable. We are committed to eliminating it wherever possible.
We also purchase products on Blue CHEP pallets wherever possible. These are returned and re-enter the supply network, reducing the need for new pallet production.
Carbon Footprint
Reducing our carbon footprint has been a priority since the Davies family took back ownership of the business in 2019. We carefully manage our energy use throughout the centre, with LED lighting installed throughout, thermostatic pre-set clocks controlling our heating, automatically closing doors, and energy-efficient appliances throughout.
Our ‘Raglan to Door’ delivery van operates on a fully laden basis through forward planning and the support of our local customers – ensuring every journey counts.