Sustainability – Real living plants are at the heart of everything we do
Most of what we do at Benholm involves growing, installing and maintaining real living plants. Many companies are involved in carbon off-setting schemes which include tree-planting in many locations – both locally and in various obscure locations. Whilst these are very commendable actions and should have long-term benefits, we are daily installing new full-sized plants breathing out oxygen, reducing CO2, and cleaning the air we breathe, right in the locations where we live and work.
We are committed to preserving the environment, and we do everything we can to make that happen.
For almost thirty years, Benholm has been building beautiful, sustainable displays for our clients all over the UK—and beyond.
Originally founded in Scotland, our company has grown as we’ve taken on more projects and expanded our client base. Today, we have clients throughout the country and beyond. And we remain rooted in our commitment to sustainability: it’s at the heart of everything we do.
At Benholm, we believe that sustainability is not just something that can be achieved through the implementation of new technologies or processes. It is also about having the right attitude, and being willing to do things differently.
The three C’s guide our culture: We are Creative, we are Caring, and we have a Can-do attitude. These values inform our attitude to sustainability.
Creative: We are committed to always striving for the best possible solutions, and we are at the forefront of technological and environmental developments in our fields of expertise.
Caring: Plants are essential to human life and play a vital role in creating a healthy environment for people to live and work in. We believe that everyone deserves to enjoy living spaces that support their health and wellbeing.
Can-do: Our approach to sustainability is an attitude, not a strategy. We take an active role in finding solutions to issues as they arise—like when we pioneered our Enviroculture planting system years before the impact of harvesting peat was widely discussed.
“Our customers can be assured in choosing us as a supplier, they are choosing an organisation dedicated to achieving the best possible working conditions, a responsible organisation seeking to minimise environmental impact. One aligned to internationally recognised best business practice.”
Derek Byne, General Manager
We are proud to create happier and healthier environments for our clients whilst also acknowledging the operational impact our work involves.
Energy: Our premises utilise a range of modern eco-friendly initiatives to reduce the energy required in our greenhouse and main office building. The greenhouse and the offices are all heated by biomass boilers which use natural/non-fossil fuel resources to create heat. We also have rainwater harvesting capacity and our green house is insulated with triple wall polycarbonate panels and computer-controlled ventilation and underfloor heating.
Travel: Our car park is equipped with electric charging points and our routes are carefully planned to reduce our “flower miles” wherever possible.
Waste: Bins for recycling waste are available throughout our premises for visitors and staff, and our green waste is composted off-site.
Benholm are committed to reducing peat-based planting with our own brand peat-free planting solution Enviroculture.
Harvesting peat for compost releases harmful greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change. Once harvested, it takes a full year for just one millimetre of new peat to form – that’s 1,000 years for each metre!
Enviroculture is our own-brand peat-free and soil-free planting solution for many varieties of indoor plants, and is a viable alternative to traditional soil or compost. We have been using it for many years, promoting the benefits of protecting our natural peatlands which are unique ecosystems providing massive amounts of natural carbon storage.
Learn more: www.benholm.com/enviroculture/
We are proud to work to the very highest standards and are delighted to once again be awarded the ISO 14001 certification for Environmental Assurance.
This certification demonstrates our commitment to tackling climate change and that our organisation is proactively working to minimise its impact on the environment.
We have long believed that bringing nature into the built environment is key to sustainability, but we don’t want to stand still. We want to keep learning, and we think research is important.
Most recently, we participated in a pioneering research project which went beyond looking at the wellness benefits of biophilic design and looked to place a monetary value on the impact it can have in an office environment. A comprehensive list of results from the study is expected to be published in the coming months. Keep an eye on our blog and social media channels where we will share them in full.
We hope our findings in research such as this will influence more designers and decision makers to make plants and natural elements a priority in their projects.
Our living walls are as ethical as they are aesthetically pleasing. The plants in your living wall actively remove CO2 from the atmosphere, enriching the air with oxygen.
We are delighted to have been listed as an approved supplier of living walls and planting on Mobilane; the market leader for the sustainable development and delivery of patented, innovative green systems for over a decade and with their mission to work together for a better, healthier living environment we are delighted to be on board.
To find us simply click this link and search any city in Scotland: https://mobilane.com/en/where-to-buy/
Nordik Moss includes a range of different natural mosses to choose from. It’s a sustainable material, harvested by hand from the forest floor, and is 100% biodegradable. It is preserved it using natural minerals to stop it growing and maintain its fresh look.
Our artificial floral displays provide a longer-lasting, sustainable alternative to fresh flowers. These displays use the most natural looking and durable products to ensure a truly special look that requires no special care or regular maintenance visits.
Whilst some plastics are often used to create artificial foliage and flowers this includes an ever-increasing amount of recycled material and almost all the plastic used is fully recyclable.
Many of the fantastic creations you can see on our social media channels have been made from scratch using locally sourced materials – like this gorgeous maple tree centrepiece we installed at Meldrum House.
Buying as locally as possible ensures least impact on the environment and this is one of the guides that our procurement team use in the buying process.
We were delighted to be selected as the official plant supplier for the historic COP26 UN Climate Change Conference which took place in Glasgow last year.
Find out more about our involvement here: https://www.benholm.com/cop26/
