Information, Resources & Advice

Plants, Gardens & Nature

Environmental Matters
Materials

The materials used in your garden can come from all around the world. To reduce environmental and ecological impacts several issues/factors can be considered.

The particular issues depend on the material itself and what is important to you. For natural materials the key to an ecological arguement is sustainable development. This is the production of a material at a level where its growth and/or harvesting is managed, which whilst possibly not of benefit to the landscape or ecosystem, is not detrimental or irreversible. For wood this means, new trees are planted, chemical pesticides or fertilizers are minimized or avoided, the surrounding habitat is protected etc.... Stone is recycled from areas where it is no longer wanted and not taken from natural areas, e.g limestone from areas like the Burren (Ireland), which is a limestone outcrop which is a very rare habitat with associated rare species of plants and animals.

Artificial materials like plastics, paints or metal, will have caused pollution in their production, and in an ideal world it would be nice to avoid their use, but they are very useful and can help to preserve natural materials like paints and preservatives on wooden fences, extending their life and avoiding more wood being required. Where they are used waste should be minimized. This is not a clear cut issue, each material whether artificial or natural, carries its own range of issues, from environmental and ecological, to social and economic.

clear and simple example: wood from natural areas which are clear felled in e.g. Indonesia. This is absolute habitat destruction and the money invariably goes to large corporations. Alternatively, selective felling does not damage the ecosystem and the local foresters benefit from a greater proportion of the profits. Locals carry the cutting equipment to the tree in the forest and carefully remove valuable wood. Hence the positive situation is to try to buy selectively felled wood, both protecting the ecosystem and helping locals.

more complex example: husks of coconuts are a waste product from the harvest of coconuts. The shells can be used to make mulches and composts, this is good recycling and another source of income for many poor regions and countries in the tropics. Its use can reduce peat extraction in the UK and ROI and elsewhere, protecting these habitats. But even a positive example like this has negatives, such as job losses where the peat is cut, plus if the husks are successful, without good management, this will no longer be a side product, but may lead to habitat destruction as more plantations are planted.

difficult example: the really tricky ones are the artificial materials, weighing up how much their production, transport and then use is negative and positive for the environment and ecosystems can be complex. Plastics come from oil extraction, their pollution due to production is evident, but their use can help e.g. making long lasting wildlife ponds, wood preservatives to extend life of wood etc... Your priority will determine the best use, the main consideration is to avoid waste, don't buy more than you need, and any remaining waste find a use for or dispose of carefully.