This year we are proud to announce that we will be celebrating the best examples of sustainability at the Show, with our Sustainability Awards on Friday night. Sponsored by White Griffin, equine sustainability specialists, we will be raising a glass to the winners of the first sustainable exhibitor award and recognising the incredible efforts being made by all of the businesses at the Show.
Something to inspire…
White Griffin believe that sustainability is a topic to inspire us all, and are determined to demonstrate how caring for the natural environment benefits our horses, our planet and even gives us the feel good factor when we are shopping! Sustainability isn’t just about removing plastic packaging and installing solar panels, it is about thinking innovatively about either adapting existing products to reduce their environmental impact, or even inventing products that solve an environmental problem. This years entrants are doing just that and the judges have seen a wide range of creative and ambitious projects to put a smile on anyone’s face.
Getting creative….
From bedding that benefits nature to plastic free grooming products, locally sourced organic feed to an online second-hand market place, the range of ways in which companies are responding to the call to help nature, demonstrates that there is no one size fits all approach to running a sustainable business. Teams across the equestrian supply chain are getting creative with actions that they can take to have an impact and it is paying dividends for them in multiple ways.
Getting the basics right……
Our sport depends on a range of different items, whether feed, bedding, tack, clothing, lighting, supplements, there are a host of products that go towards both leisure and competitive riding. In order to continue enjoying riding into the future, we should ensure that our products follow the fundamental principles of good environmental practices. This means taking a regenerative or circular approach to both producing and using the items our horses need (and the ones we simply enjoy having!)
In the first instance, this means producing items that are good quality, built to last and easy to repair. Secondly, producers must take care to use raw materials that can be sustainably harvested – for example organic cotton, FSC paper and wood or responsibly and sustainably sourced leather. Thirdly, businesses must give consideration to the way the products are manufactured, using renewable energy, minimising water use and waste, so that the process of creating and transporting the product does not negatively impact the environment. And finally, both businesses and the consumer should think carefully about packaging and waste generated from the product. Whilst it is incumbent on the producer to create sustainable packaging, as consumers, we also need to ensure that we do the right thing by reusing or recycling the packaging.
Building a sustainable future for the sport….
The manufacturing of goods and food is responsible for 50% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 90% of biodiversity loss worldwide. Therefore it is important that we all produce and consume products that seek to go above and beyond to protect the environment. We are proud to recognise the exhibitors who are doing just that at the Equine Show. By making good choices, we can hope to secure a more sustainable future for our sport and in doing so, play our part in creating a healthy future for the next generation of horses and riders too.