Wyevale Nurseries has scooped the coveted Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce Award for Excellence in Sustainability at the organisation’s recent annual celebration evening at Worcester Arena on 12 June.
The Chamber Business Award, sponsored by Herefordshire Council and Worcestershire County Council, recognises companies across the two counties that have excelled in their environmental practices.
Managing director at Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford, Andy Johnson, said he was delighted to have been presented with the award, sponsored by Vinegar Works, for the grower’s environmental initiatives.

Improving practices
“Sustainability is at the heart of our long-term business goals. We’re focused on carbon capture, water management, lowering chemical use, investing in efficient infrastructure and reducing our carbon footprint. We’re continuously improving practices and are invested in good biosecurity to support a resilient and thriving local ecosystem too.
Teams in every part of the business worked “exceptionally hard to deliver solid annual sustainability targets” and it was “a testament to their dedication and commitment” that the company had received the award.”
Celebrating its 95th anniversary in business this year, Wyevale has a proactive approach to sustainability, which involves leading with innovation rather than reacting to environmental challenges. Its activities encompass responsible sourcing, environmentally-sound production methods and biodiversity enhancement.

Andy added: “Our key policies include peat reduction and the use of sustainable substrates, water conservation, energy efficiency and managing biodiversity and ecological impact, as well as sustainable land management and waste reduction.
“Our goals include introducing a greater climate-resilient plant range, aiming to be fully peat-free by 2028 and integrating technology and sustainability, such as AI-driven resource management, into our systems. The focus is on doing the right things, at the right scale and time, to ensure our business thrives while contributing positively to the planet.

Full carbon audit
“We’re also working on implementing a full carbon audit across our supply chain to measure and reduce emissions further and are encouraging suppliers to adopt closed-loop recycling systems for materials and packaging. We’re looking at increasing the use of solar and wind power in production with growers and suppliers too.
“Strategic logistics planning has cut unnecessary journeys, reducing transport-related emissions and a shift to recyclable packaging has removed thousands of single-use plastic items from circulation.
“By embedding sustainability across our supply chain, we’re helping drive the horticultural industry towards a net zero, climate-resilient future, ensuring that every plant grown supports a healthier planet,” he concluded.
Wyevale Nurseries holds a Plant Healthy Certification and ISO14001 Environmental accreditation.
The family-run business has a product selection and knowledgeable and experienced team admired across the industry.
Its main business is to supply landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters, landowners and garden centres with a comprehensive array of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants.
www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk