OUR ECO-FRIENDLY POLICY

We can work together to minimise the harm we do to our ecosystems and the environment, including the reduction of harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which impact climate change.

The Garden Pod team contribute by:

  • using the correct materials by choosing tried and tested green products.
  • having a robust waste-management system in place that recycles and minimizes waste where possible.
  • introduces efficiencies during the design and construction process to minimize the running costs (e.g. maintenance, energy efficiency, replacement components) of pods after installation.

YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THIS URGENT ENVIROMENTAL CAUSE BY:

  • choosing and working with an eco-friendly team to complete your project on time and on budget.


We will where possible use natural materials over artificial products that meet our requirements. For example, we will minimize the use of plastics and plastic components. We will purchase materials without excessive packaging from our suppliers.

We also avoid harmful oil-based or chemical-based materials in favor of ones that are bio-degradable or can be recovered and recycled. In other words, after a life of several decades and weathering, they are non-toxic and eco-friendly for recovery, recycling or ultimate disposal, if necessary for deconstruction, without causing harm to the environment.

A product can be only qualified as being environmentally friendly when its life cycle ‘from cradle to grave’ respects the needs of the environment - Stauffer, 1997.

Building materials

Environmentally-friendly or green building materials are those that in their design, production, placing and maintenance have low environmental impact – e.g. they reduce energy use, save on water use or minimize the use of raw materials in the first place, through efficient design and construction or production.

Construction method

Timber-frame is widely recognized as an environmentally friendly construction method. It involves extremely low ‘embodied energy’ – that is, the energy required to manufacture a building component or material, deliver it to site and install or construct it.

Wood treatments

We use natural treatments, avoiding substances that harm the atmosphere and that lack solvents or any other chemical product. Redwood components and moulded boards are treated with Osmo products, which are effectively wax/oil preparations using a penetrative vegetable oil base. These are premium, environmentally friendly products produced in Germany.

Insulation

We use mineral wool, which has a higher R-value per inch compared to fibreglass (about +22-37% higher). The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation. And mineral wool contains 70% recycled material, making it a greener product than fibreglass, at 20-30% recycled material.
Our double or triple-glazed windows and doors are thermally insulated. Combined with our use of interior and exterior LED lights and a low-energy heating system, this minimizes running costs and reduces CO2 emissions.

Waste management

Our construction process and material purchase policy generally produce the minimum of waste products. All bought-in timber sizes are optimized to prevent waste, and small off-cuts and any damaged or defective timbers are recovered and recycled. Some are used in home heating systems.
To deal with any larger amounts of waste, we use reputable recycling companies with the relevant licences and permits.

If you’ve any questions about our eco-friendly policy or methods, you’re welcome to get in touch and we can provide more details.