Introduction
Andrew and myself set up Quickcrop in 2009 when we both moved West with our families to live a more Sustainable life style. With this in mind the company was formed with Sustainability at its Core from day one. Not being too cheesy but we wanted to Educate our kids how to survive in the modern world and at the same time run a business that was run in a sustainable manner with Food Education as its main function
The aim of the company is to be Carbon Neutral but more importantly to supply products and services that enable Gardeners to Garden in a Sustainable and Environmentally friendly manner.
Scope
Our Goal is to reduce our environmental footprint, support ethical supply chains and to promote sustainability throughout our operations. As a small Gardening and warehousing business Quickcrop is fully committed to operating in a responsible and sustainable manner.
Key Commitments
- Sustainable product sourcing
- To gradually move to a full range of Organic seeds chosen and packed by Quickcrop
- To offer only Peat free compost options
- Bulk purchasing to reduce transport emissions
Eco Friendly Packaging
- Suppliers - Insisting on no plastic coverings on pallets coming in from our suppliers.
- Phasing out all use of plastics in our warehouse by 2030
- Recycling of all waste in the business to include Food Waste and all packaging
- Introduction of Paper tape for closing of boxes
- Re-using of inbound packaging materials for outbound shipments where suitable
Low Impact Logistics
- Full load collection for our bulk soils leading to less small load collections which leads to less road usage by our transport partners
- Partnering with courier companies who have a higher percentage of electric vehicles
Warehouse & Office Energy Use
- We have moved to smart metres to monitor and reduce energy consumption
- LED lighting installed throughout the company
- Exploring the use of renewable energy where viable
Waste Reduction and Recycling
- Donating of unsellable products to Community Gardens around the country instead of disposal
- Recycling of all cardboard, plastic and electronic products that can’t be re-purposed
Customer Engagement
- Regular blogs and videos on how to Garden in a more sustainable manner
- Newsletter posts on the How to of Gardening in a more sustainable way
- Education on the best products to use in order to garden in a better way
Supplier and Product Responsibility
- Prioritising Suppliers who demonstrate environmentally responsible practices
- Insisting that our suppliers reduce their packaging and carbon footprint
- Promoting eco-friendly products on our platform
Monitoring of Goals
- Reduce our plastic packaging in and out of the business by 30% each year from 2026 onwards. Eventually cutting out all plastic packaging by 2030
- Implement an annual sustainability audit to monitor our successes in this area and add to the list of improvements needed
- Waste reduction goals to be set and monitored
- Energy usage trends to be monitored and targets set.
Reviewing of Policy and Commitment
The above policies have not been written by some outside agency but rather by myself (Niall) and Andrew. We commit to reviewing these policies every 6 months and feedback progress both here on the website and on our Social platforms as this is a hugely important part of what we do.