CO2 Reduction
Our Fleet and Machines
Majestic Trees have always made the point of investing in the cleanest vehicles possible. The latest improvements include upgrading all of our fleet of heavy goods vehicles to meet the Euro VI standard. Although this is only the required standard to take vehicles into London, we chose to upgrade our entire fleet, even those vehicles that would be performing local, or non-London work.
We have also recently replaced our old Euro V AfterCare vehicle with a brand new, Euro VI version. In addition, we have replaced lots of our nursery-based machines to newer, more efficient models. Several of the machines we have purchased over the last years has been ready to meet the new Stage V engine standards, similar to Euro 6, but for off-road vehicles. An excellent example of this is our new JCB 542-70; which is equipped with all the latest emission reduction capabilities, including AdBlue dosing and DPF filters. On top of that, several newer pieces of machinery have been added to our fleet that emit significantly less pollution that they’re older counterparts that they replace.
Handheld Equipment
The nursery team have also worked very hard in the last few years to improve what we do. When upgrading our old set of tools 2 years ago, the decision was made to incorporate a newer, greener, battery alternative – the Pellenc tool system. With one backpack-style battery pack, an operator can perform many tasks using the interchangeable tools where strimming, brush cutting, hedge-trimming and leaf blowing are just some of the available options. It was such a success that a year down the road, we decided to purchase a second battery pack, allowing us to run two tools at once with two operators.
AirPots
While the vast majority of nurseries grow in rigid, single-use plastic pots, over 90% of our stock is grown in AirPots, a perforated collar made from recycled plastics. Not only do they promote a superior root system, these collars are used and reused for up to 10 seasons, then sent for recycling again.
Solar Panels
At Majestic we have solar thermal panels installed on our offices and our on-site accommodation. The panels use heat from the sun to warm fluid passing through them. This is then used to heat our water which is stored in a hot water cylinder.
Air-Source Pumps
Since 2014, the same buildings also utilise air-source pump heating. This clever device works like a refrigerator but in reverse, extracting heat from the outside air (even when it’s cold!) and transferring it to a body of water which can be used for heating.
Water Resilience
Rainwater Harvesting
Majestic Trees do not rely on mains water to irrigate our trees and have invested nearly £200k to build two reservoirs on site which enable us to harvest rainwater from the 27-acre nursery. Rainwater is also collected from the roofs of all the buildings on site and any hard standing areas. To ensure this water is fit for tree consumption, it is passed through a ‘closed loop’ recycling system using a series of filtration processes. Additionally, the Waste-2Water tank uses biological organisms to break down any contaminants before pumping into our reservoirs.
Irrigation
Irrigation water from the reservoirs is filtered and injector controlled before being pumped around the entire nursery to ensure it is of the highest quality, and most usable to trees. The pump is highly efficient as is the drip system which nourishes each tree and allows precise quantification of water volume applied. Being a drip system, evaporation is negligible and an experienced irrigation team continually checks literally every tree daily to ensure the right amount of water is applied and unlike spray systems, there is no runoff.
Portable Truck Wash
Majestic Trees have also invested in a specialised portable truck wash which is driven around each lorry enabling fast and efficient cleaning of large vehicles. Water nozzles are controlled to ensure that no excess water is wasted.
Electrostatic Sprayer
We’re one of the first containerized tree nurseries in the UK to use this sprayer technology, a system which disperses the product via electrically charged droplets which are then attracted to the vegetation being sprayed. Not only is it designed to use ultra-low water volumes and reduce the number of spray cycles, but also ensures that there is practically no runoff which improves effectiveness and dramatically reduces the environmental impact on wildlife.
Peat Removal
Developing Our Compost
As Majestic Trees celebrates its 20th anniversary 2022, we are proud of our reputation as innovative industry leaders. We have worked hard to reduce peat usage in our compost to improve the environmental sustainability of our company and pass this ethos onto our customers. In the last 10 years, we have reduced the peat element of our compost by 50% and continuously run peat-freetails with the aim of becoming 100% peat-free once a quality, consistent product in large enough volume is available.
Peat-Free Trials
Together with our compost supplier, we’re constantly working on developing a sustainable peat-free alternative growing medium for our trees. This has involved sampling various mixes to not only ensure superior quality but also avoid replacing peat with other materials which may become unsustainable in the long-term. By taking this initiative, Majestic Trees hopes to be adequately prepared to be compliant with the ban on peat compost within professional horticulture in advance of the proposed 2030 deadline.
Adapting Production Methods
As a team, we are continuously learning how to adapt our production methods to improve the performance of peat-free alternatives, and we understand that our own cultural practices are just as important as finding a suitable replacement. Our on-site trials have identified that water usage is an important factor to consider when using peat-free alternatives, particularly as a limited resource. Thus, Majestic Trees has revised our irrigation system to maximise water retention of our peatfree compost whilst minimising water loss. Though we recognise that the change to peat-free compost can be challenging, we have taken steps to improve our supply, storage, and handling on our nursery so that we can continue to grow our trees to a high standard.
‘Going forward, we intend to keep up the momentum. For our future initiatives, please see Majestic Trees’ Sustainability Plan’
