Zest Updates On Sustainability At Glee

With outdoor spaces more important than ever, Zest has sustainability at the heart of its brand ethos, appreciating how vital ethical sourcing and environmental responsibility is to the planet and to future generations. 

Product and Packaging

Zest is committed to using responsibly sourced, sustainable, PEFC certified (PEFC/16-37-1490) timber. The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is an international, non-governmental, non-profit organisation promoting sustainable forest management and is an assurance mechanism to purchasers of wood that they are supporting sustainable forest management.

PEFC is the largest forest certification system, with millions of hectares of forests globally, upholding PEFC sustainability standards.  Being a PEFC certified company is important to Zest as it shows commitment to the environment and to responsible sourcing. Together with its main supply partners in Eastern Europe and specifically Poland – among the leading exponents of PEFC standards - Zest is dedicated to replanting trees and working with the Polish Government nurturing woodland habitat and collaborating on a 10,000-acre replanting initiative in the Lipusz forest district.  Zest is also a member of the NWWT (North Wales Wildlife Trust) working on several initiatives, including the Woodlands for Water Project planting hedgerow plants in the UK.

Operations

Zest is innovating ways to protect and deliver products safely and sustainably.  As an example, Zest repairs and recycles non-standard pallets in the UK into new ‘treesaver’ pallets, maximising their lifecycle – and all off-cuts and waste timber goes to fueling the company’s biomass boilers.  The whole business is focused on reducing CO2 emissions.  All offices and warehouses are heated by biomass.  Every suitable roof has solar panels installed producing even more green power for the business and rainwater is collected and reused wherever possible.

Transportation

Zest is also focusing attention on the continuous improvement of transportation from importing into the UK to home delivery.  Zest ensures all loads to retail garden centre stockists are loaded to the optimum level to reduce the number of overall miles of road freight, and therefore minimise emissions. 

In February 2023 the average wagon load fill was increased significantly resulting in an average 42 fewer wagons on the roads per month delivering an increased amount of Zest products. This was thanks to a combination of:

• DFMA (design for manufacturing and assembly) principles to ensure the maximum number of products on a load
• Using the most space-efficient packing configurations
• ‘Smart’ routing plans and more delivery points per trip

Zest was established in 2005 to bring high-quality, sustainable timber garden products to garden centres, online retailers, builders’ merchants, and major purchasing groups across the UK.  For further information about Zest’s GYO, decorative and furniture products, visit https://zestoutdoorliving.co.uk/trade/