Thank you to everyone that spent a couple of minutes completing our survey. It is much appreciated. We are delighted to report that we’ve had over 600 responses! Our ‘Plant Hope’ campaign aims to find little ways to help our customers become more sustainable. This impressive number of responses enables us to get an accurate view of how sustainable our customers are and, more importantly, identify which areas we can focus on to help improve this in the future.
The survey results were very positive; here is a brief rundown of the responses we received:
Have you tried peat-free compost?
Nearly 70% of our customers have either already switched to peat-free or would love to give it a try, this makes us very happy!
The responses show that some people avoid peat-free because they think it’s more expensive – we are proud to say that this year our peat-free compost starts at the same price as the few we sell that still contain peat!
We discovered that some people are still unaware of the environmental issues associated with peat extraction. One customer commented “I’m not sure if I’ve ever purchased peat-free, but I will be looking for it next time I need some”, and another “I wasn’t aware of the problems with peat-free compost”. We hope this survey will encourage more people to try switching to peat-free, now that they realise the importance of avoiding peat in compost. We will continue doing our best to get the message across by sharing information in store, online and through social media.
Lastly, there were a few comments about peat-free compost having different watering and feeding requirements, please read our ‘How to’? guide to ensure you get the best results.
Water butt and can
Do you have a water butt?
As can be seen on the chart, an amazing 62% of customers have a water butt and are using it to water their plants. Even better, many people report they have more than one set up – the record was seven! It is fantastic to hear so many of our customers recognise the importance of saving water – it’s a brilliant way of saving money when watering the garden too!
Nearly 10% of people say they would love to set up a water butt in the garden – read our ‘How to’? guide for lots of information to get you started
Do you use a hose sprinkler in the summer?
We are pleased to report that 83% either use a watering can instead or use a sprinkler responsibly.
It is important to save water as much as possible, ready our ‘How to’? guide for lots of tips
Do you grow your own fruit and vegetables?
Over 50% of our customers grow their own and find eating and sharing the harvest rewarding. This is great news, and we’d love to encourage more to get growing.
Many stated they don’t have the know-how, space or time. We aim to spread the word that you can get started with minimal time, resources and knowledge; you don’t need to have a conventional vegetable plot or, indeed any outdoor space at all. Read our ‘How to’? guide for more information.
Do you take your own bag when shopping at Perrywood?
Over half of our shoppers always bring a bag for life, and 27% make use of our recycled boxes and plant trays to assist them in getting their plants and products home safely.
As part of our ‘Plant Hope’ campaign, we have added a poster in the car park to remind customers to bring in their bag for life.
The other section’s explanations highlighted that many use the trolleys to take items directly to the car, so have no need for a bag, this is really interesting to know. Did you know we can provide a free paper boot liner to save soil and water spillages?
Do you recycle your household waste?
A whopping 89% always recycle what they can in kerbside collections – this is great news, keep it up!
Is there anything you’d like us to do to help you become more sustainable?
Thank you to all that left a comment, they have all been really helpful.
Many people are concerned about recycling plastic pots. You’ll be pleased to know that we are phasing out black pots and trays in our plant production nursery that can’t be recycled. We are replacing black plastic (which is not recyclable) with other colours, which can be put into kerbside recycling in some areas (sadly not all). Look out for recyclable taupe, grey, green, purple and blue pots, as well as terracotta on the outside and coloured on the inside. Our suppliers are also working hard to switch to recyclable plastic. We will continue to work on reducing plastics in other ways too.
Another popular subject was how to get started with home composting, please see our handy ‘How to’? guide with lots of information to help get you started.
There was also a question about how to build a bee hotel – this ‘How to’? guide gives plenty of advice on attracting wildlife to your garden, including building an insect hotel for many different species.