Why should companies support local UK wildlife projects?

Just what green credentials does your favourite brand espouse? The chances are that even if you’re not completely sure about the answer to that question, you care more about it now than you might have done a decade or so ago.

There’s no doubt about it, what companies do for the environment is becoming more and more important to consumers as the climate crisis worsens. Some businesses shout really loudly about what they’re doing for the planet, while others prefer to stay quiet for fear of being accused of greenwashing (you can read more about that here).

There are lots of considerations for brands hoping to communicate their environmental goals effectively, but first and foremost, transparency is key. If you’re going to persuade your customers that you walk the walk as well as talk the talk, you’ve got to make sure your actions speak louder than words. “Organic, sustainable and eco-friendly” aren’t convincing enough labels for today’s discerning consumers, who want to see climate pledges in action.

That’s actually what first gave us the idea to start GreenTheUK; as an effective means of marrying up businesses that want to do better things for the planet with community wildlife projects that need support. By investing in work that is so deeply rooted in a local area, businesses show just how committed they are to supporting small-scale improvements for the greater benefit of everyone in the community.

Take the team at Allotment Drinks as an example: based in York, they create premium mixers and sodas inspired by the flavours of the British Garden. What better way, then, to show just how much they care for the stunning Yorkshire countryside around them, than to help restore local wildflower meadows?

Wildflowers are vital to our pollinating insects, but they’re in decline and that’s causing major problems. Post-war changes in the UK landscape mean we’ve lost 97 per cent of our wildflower meadows, so it’s a race against time to bring them back. Last year, Allotment Drinks - in conjunction with GreenTheUK and the experts at Buglife - supported the planting of 7,500m2 of wildflower meadows, as part of an insect superhighway which will allow our vital pollinators to move around the country doing as nature intended.

Not only is this vital conservation work in action, it’s also just a really gorgeous experience to take in the sights, sounds and smells of all those stunning wildflowers. So if you’re in York, why not venture to the City Walls to see the cowslips and field forget-me-nots for yourself?

What Claire Oxley and her team at Allotment Drinks achieved in York is just one of the projects we’ve helped facilitate here at GreenTheUK; just have a look at our website to read about the tens of thousands of trees our partners have planted and the fantastic work that’s being done along the UK’s rich coastline. Perhaps you’ve seen something you think might work for you and your team, in which case please do get in touch with us to find out how we can help you.

It’s easy to go around shouting about how sustainable your aims as a business are, but isn’t it of more value to you and your customers to be able to measure the positive impact your actions are having on the world around you? We believe that small, tangible changes - managed the right way and conserved for the future - can make a really big difference.