Kingfisher Alternatives to Conventional Garden Chemicals Instructions
- June 11, 2024
- KingFisher
Table of Contents
Kingfisher Alternatives to Conventional Garden Chemicals
Specifications
- Product Name: Alternatives to Conventional Garden Chemicals
- Designed to help customers identify environmentally friendly products
- Focus on reducing environmental impacts
- Criteria for Green Star program entry must be met
Product Information
- The “Alternatives to Conventional Garden Chemicals” product is part of our range designed to provide customers with environmentally friendly options for their gardening needs.
- This product is marked with a green star to signify its focus on reducing environmental impacts and promoting sustainable gardening practices.
Usage Instructions
- Before purchasing, customers can access Kingfisher policies related to Human Rights, Supply Chain Workplace Standards, and Sustainable Packaging.
- The products are also checked against a Watch List to ensure they meet the green star criteria.
Green Star Programme Entry
- To be marked with the green star, the product must meet Criteria 1 and Criteria 2.
- Once these criteria are met, the product is reviewed internally by the sustainability team and externally validated by NGO Bioregional.
Watch List Criteria
- Avoid products containing peat, PVC, expanded polystyrene, non-compliant wood, palm oil, cotton, rubber, or leather from irresponsible sources.
FAQ
- Why should I choose Alternatives to Conventional Garden Chemicals?
- Choosing these alternatives helps reduce the negative environmental impacts associated with conventional pesticides and fertilizers, promoting a healthier garden ecosystem.
- How do I know if a product has a green star?
- Look for the green star symbol on the product packaging or check with the retailer for products marked with the green star.
Introduction
What it means to choose a Green Star product
- Products marked with the green star are designed to help customers identify items within our ranges with a focus on reducing environmental impacts.
- Customers can use the information provided to filter and understand more about the products they’re interested in or have purchased.
Why switching to Alternatives to Conventional Garden Chemicals matters
There is increasing interest in moving away from using conventional
pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilisers in our gardens. In recent
years, Kingfisher has stopped selling metaldehyde and neonicotinoids
(including in the growth of flowering plants sold) following concerns about
the impact on the environment.
Finding ways to ensure that gardens continue to thrive as vibrant habitats
without resorting to conventional garden chemicals can include:
- Using farm or horse manure to improve the soil instead of a synthetic fertiliser.
- Growing plants specifically to improve soil nutrition (green manure).
- Using biological controls – introducing a pest’s natural predator – instead of using pesticides.
How we assess Green Star products
Before assessment, every Green Star product must meet:
- All relevant legal requirements
- All Kingfisher policy requirements
You can access the Kingfisher policies here. These include Human Rights, Supply Chain Workplace Standards and Sustainable Packaging.
- Products are also checked against a Watch List. The watch list contains several criteria or features, relevant to the product type, that if present disqualify the product from being marked with a green star. The relevant Watch List can be found at the end of this factsheet. The Watch List is reviewed and revised annually.
- Life cycle assessments have not been completed for every Green Star product, but by employing policies and the Watch List Criteria in Kingfisher’s Sustainable Home Product Guidelines, many factors in the life cycle of a product are considered.
- The green star ‘Alternatives to Conventional Garden Chemicals’ assessment focuses on the in-use phase of the product’s life cycle. This is where the product can bring the biggest benefit to the user across its utilisation, however, Green Star excludes products that may have other environmental aspects that are harmful either as a result of manufacture or end-of-life disposal.
Green Star programme entry
The criteria for ‘Alternatives to Conventional Garden Chemicals’ is:
- Biological controls for pests
- Manure:
- Farmyard or horse manure is sold as a soil improver.
- Green manure seed
- Varieties of plants are designed to grow and then decompose in the soil to add nutrients.
Providing Criteria 1 and 2 have been met, a product can marked with the green star
Reviewing and confirming green star status
- All products nominated and that meet criteria 1 and 2 are assessed internally by our sustainability team and submitted to NGO Bioregional for external validation.
- Once the external review is conducted, the product can then be confirmed and marked with the green star.
- A full review is conducted annually to ensure all products continue to meet the selection criteria.
To find out more about NGO Bioregional, click here
Watch List Criteria relevant to ‘Alternatives to Conventional Garden
Chemicals’
This list includes features or aspects of products that make them unsuitable
to be marked with the green star:
- The product should not contain peat.
- Products where the packaging contains PVC or expanded polystyrene.
- Products that contain any wood that does not meet Kingfisher’s Forest Positive Policy.
- Products containing palm oil, cotton, rubber or leather with no evidence that the materials have been responsibly sourced.
Guiding you to help reduce the environmental impact of home improvement