Since 1992, our water recycling program has grown to accommodate up to 698,000 litres of tank water, harvested through 10,900 m2 of roof area, concrete pathways, roadways and parking. Annually, our water recycling program saves around 66,240,000 litres of potable water.

Our Chandler nursery adjoins Tingalpa Creek Reserve, home to rich flora and fauna and through which a Tingalpa Creek tributary flows to Moreton Bay.

Prior to our site upgrades, we recognised the need to preserve the reserve’s biodiversity within and working with our great team of people who share our passion for the environment we have found ways to minimise our impact on this reserve.

Our water treatment system on site includes:

• grass swales to convey flow across the site

• holding tanks with a capacity of 700,000 litres to capture 40 mm of stormwater run-off from the complete site with any overflow directed through the grass swales

• filtering this water and then pumping it into above ground storage tanks to be used for watering plants in our nursery.

We also work hard to source, use and market environmentally responsible products that help conserve the biodiversity of our natural landscapes.

Annually we generate over 67,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity through our 228-panel solar power system. In addition, by using this renewable energy we are removing on average over 70,000 kilograms of CO2 emissions each year.

Our investments in water, power and waste minimisation have been central business drivers since 1990. These initiatives alone have contributed to significantly reducing our carbon footprint. In addition, the nature of our business means we distribute millions of plants into Australia's prized green public and private spaces—positively contributing to the absorption of carbon.

Over the past 20 years we have worked tirelessly to minimise our water and energy use and eliminate any impacts on biodiversity. We have reached a reduction of more than 98% in potable water use, eliminated our net energy use and halved our waste generation.

As we grew in the 90s, our Board of Directors made a clear decision to weave our environmental and social contribution deeply into every aspect of our business. We want to lead by example, inspire future generations to do better and strive to achieve higher goals. The business principles and practices that bring that to life are:

• providing clients with innovative tailored supply solutions, premium value products and valuable outcomes for their businesses

• building partnerships with our supply partners to grow their businesses profitably

• providing a safe, rewarding and financially secure workplace for our team

• always paying on time

• conducting our business with integrity, employing sound business, social and environmental practices.

We believe strongly in investing in business development today to provide better positioning and realise the goals at the heart of our business strategy tomorrow. Indeed, in the next five years, we want to embrace sustainability challenges beyond its environmental impact—to influence broader community sustainability interests including food sustainability.

Our team

Over the past 30 years we have embraced diversity and facilitated a structure with flexible working arrangements suitable for working parents with ‘family comes first’ as a guiding principle. Today, our highly flexible team skilfully develops and manages the roster around their work and personal life demands week-to-week.

Charities we support

As a successful business we recognise our duty goes beyond looking after our team, clients, supply partners and the environment. This is why we have long been supporters of two charities:

• Evolve a charity delivering early intervention programs for disadvantaged young people.

• Fred Hollows Foundation restoring eyesight to thousands of people in developing countries and to Indigenous Australians.

Evolve

When we think about disadvantage, our minds often turn to places far away from Australia; children starving in Africa, war-stricken countries, or people suffering in natural disasters. This sometimes makes it hard to see what is happening in our own country—in our own backyards. Disadvantage has many faces and presents itself in different ways. Regardless of its appearance, there is one commonality: no-one chooses disadvantage.

Young people that come to Evolve often come from environments where their families experience social, economic or geographic disadvantage, which can sometimes lead to negative mental health, self-harming and suicide, abuse and neglect, homelessness, educational disengagement and juvenile crime. By the time they embark on a new road with Evolve, they are desperate for change, for a fresh start and for the opportunity to have an ‘advantage’.

We believe this charity makes a difference in the lives of disadvantaged youth, building their self-esteem and giving them skills to become confident and build a better future.

The Fred Hollows Foundation

The Fred Hollows vision is for a world where no one is needlessly blind, and Indigenous Australians enjoy the same health and life expectancy as other Australians.

The Fred Hollows Foundation is inspired by the work of the late Professor Fred Hollows (1929–1993). Fred was an eye doctor, a skilled surgeon of international renown and a social justice activist. He was committed to improving the health of Indigenous Australians and to reducing the cost of eye health care and treatment in developing countries. View a video about Fred Hollows and the work that preceded the Foundation.

The Foundation was established in Sydney in 1992, five months before Fred passed away, with the aim of continuing and expanding on the program work he had started in Eritrea, Vietnam and Indigenous Australia.

We consider sight to be the most important of five senses and are thrilled to know this charity is able to provide cataract operations for as little as $25 in some developing countries. They have so far helped to restore the sight of more than 1,000,000 people worldwide—a truly remarkable achievement and a cause worth our support.

We subcontract logistics and transport to several regional companies that specialise in safe transportation of plants via the long distances in Australia.

Our Chandler site incorporates purpose-built warehouse distribution thereby minimising transport needs and increasing efficiencies. The warehouse is used by multiple transport companies acting for broader industry cross-loading from growers to retailers and landscapers across the eastern seaboard of Australia. The facility is not only used to deliver most of our stock from our supply partners to our site but is also used to consolidate transport for the customers of other businesses. This arrangement means that even though we rely on road transport, we are contributing to industry’s efficiency and minimising road use and carbon emissions.