Denbighshire County Council has become the first local authority in the
UK to use the latest herbicide-free weed killing technology.
The Council’s Countryside Services has taken delivery of the new
Foamstream M600 which uses heat and an organic foam made from olive oil, to
kill plants.
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* The Foamstream M600 in operation.
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The foam is non-toxic and will enable the Council to reduce the amount
of herbicides it uses to control unwanted growth of plants and non-native
invasive weeds including in sensitive areas such as Sites of Special Scientific
Interest, Special Areas of Conservation and county wildlife sites.
Cllr Tony Thomas, lead member for the Environment, said: “Protecting the
environment is something the Council takes very seriously and is a priority for
us under our Corporate Plan.
“The use of herbicides is a concern for many residents, and we are
investing in new, state-of-the-art technologies to manage our environment in a more
eco-friendly way.
“This is the first step towards eliminating the use of herbicides and we
will also be running a trial to see how effective this is at controlling weed
growth on pavements and roads, as an alternative using herbicides in more urban
settings.
“We are the first organisation in UK to purchase the latest technology
to control unwanted growth of plants and non-native invasive weeds and hope
other organisations follow our example.”
Herbicides have been linked to negative impacts on the environment with
a number of recent studies identifying glyphosate, the most commonly used
herbicide, as a cause of death and decline among honey bees.
As the foam is completely organic and nontoxic, it can be used near to
water and this will also reduce the impact on freshwater ecosystems and the
species they contain, which are some of the most vulnerable to the effects of
herbicides.
Earlier this year Denbighshire County Council was awarded Bee Friendly
status from the Welsh Government, a scheme which aims to make Wales a
pollinator-friendly country.
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