Viridor and Plantlife – Looking to the Future

Viridor is proud of its sustainability partner Plantlife, a conservation organisation looking after Britain’s wild flowers, plants and fungi.

Plantlife have been speaking up for Britain’s wild flowers, plants and fungi for over 25 years. From the open space of their nature reserves to the corridors of government, Plantlife is there to raise the profile, to celebrate the beauty, and to protect the future of Britain’s countryside.

“Nature can exist without us; but we cannot exist without nature”

Viridor and Plantlife are working together to make some real changes to our land holdings, the health and wellbeing of our employees and their families and to the future of wild flowers and wildlife across the UK. The major goals of our partnership include:

• Saving a threatened plant species – across the country native plants are being wiped out by development and by invasive species. Working together our aim is to save one threated plant species by 2019
• Develop a network of Butterfly Meadows across the UK – Plantlife is going to help us create flower-rich meadows on 12 of our sites so that we have more wild flowers, butterflies and bees
• Help us all get outside – through volunteering activities and local wildlife guides we will all have opportunities with our friends and families, to get outside and spend some time in nature
• Explore the concept of natural capital and bring this into action through Viridor raising awareness for other businesses

This partnership will give everyone excellent opportunities to spend time outside, in the communities where we live and work, exploring and supporting the habitat around us. As we all know, getting out and about in the countryside is good for our health and happiness.

Key actions will include:

• Creating wildflower meadows at Viridor sites to transform where employees work
• Surveys and audits; e.g. flower species, soil types and bee populations
• Support and increase volunteering activities in the countryside including a Volunteering Ambassador
• Develop and support the Ranscombe Reserve near our Rochester site
• Distribution of Summer Holiday Spotter Packs for employees. Including identification detectives for:
  • Seaside Wildflowers and Seaweed
  • Summer butterflies (common and meadow)
  • Wildflowers in August
  • Roadside wildflowers
• Photographic competitions

This is an exciting and worthwhile partnership that will only grow and develop!

Simon Catford

HR and Regulatory Director Viridor Ltd UK