SPARSHOLT College Hampshire has formed a partnership with global packaging company Huhtamaki to give their 2014 RHS Chelsea Flower garden a truly sustainable theme.
Huhtamaki’s environmentally friendly BioWare packaging range runs through every element of the college’s garden for the forthcoming flower show.
The manufacturing process and green credentials have inspired the design; plants are being grown in compost created from disposable BioWare cups used by Sparsholt campus students and both the compost and BioWare products will feature at the show in May.
Horticulture lecturer Chris Bird said: “Naturally we are already very environmentally aware and conscientious here at Sparsholt, but through this new partnership with Huhtamaki our horticulture students have seen how one of the world’s largest packaging companies are also playing a significant role in designing and manufacturing future friendly products.”
Student John Monger said the visit to Huhtamaki at Gosport showed me how diverse the industry is, which gave me more of an idea of how to design the garden.
John said: “Recycling is very important to the horticulture industry as it enables us to work with environmentally-friendly materials.”
Every student and member of staff based at the college’s campus are also playing their part.
Since December last year all hot drinks sold in the college restaurant and bar have been in BioWare cups.
The Horticulture students involved in the project have very much become recycling champions around the college campus.
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