Grounds Care & The Environment: How To Make Greener Choices
Commercial landscapes play a vital role in the environment, just as residential gardens and public green spaces do. While it’s often easier to adapt domestic and public areas to support local wildlife, commercial spaces, thanks to their size and resources, have a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on local biodiversity.
Many businesses, educational centres, and sports facilities employ professional teams for grounds maintenance services. Typically, these teams maintain outdoor areas efficiently to meet strict budget and time constraints. However, commercial venues increasingly recognise the importance of environmental stewardship. Small, thoughtful changes in grounds care can support wildlife, enhance sustainability, and even deliver long-term cost savings.
In this guide, we’ll explore what grounds maintenance entails and how your commercial site can adopt greener practices.
What Is Grounds Maintenance?
Grounds maintenance refers to the ongoing care and management of outdoor spaces. For commercial sites, this often involves keeping lawns, gardens, and sports fields in pristine condition. Regular tasks may include mowing, pruning, bush and shrub trimming, vegetation management, and general landscape upkeep.
Some sites hire commercial landscape contractors to handle these tasks, while others rely on in-house teams. Both approaches ensure a site remains visually appealing while meeting operational needs.
Curious about what a commercial grounds maintenance company does? They typically manage all aspects of landscape and grounds maintenance, from lawn care and sports ground maintenance to seasonal upkeep and vegetation management.
Landscaping & the Environment
While landscape and grounds maintenance involves plant life, it doesn’t automatically make a space wildlife-friendly. Corporate gardens, lawns, and sports fields can create “green deserts” with limited biodiversity. Monocultures and uniform lawns often disrupt the habitats of birds, insects, and small mammals.
Fortunately, grounds maintenance contractors can adopt eco-friendly practices that promote biodiversity. Simple strategies include planting diverse vegetation, using natural fertilisers, and integrating sustainable tools such as electric mowers or solar-powered equipment.
A Green Approach to Grounds Care
Even small changes in your grounds maintenance services can have a big environmental impact. Beyond supporting wildlife, sustainable practices can reduce long-term costs, improve your company’s reputation, and attract eco-conscious customers and investors.
Here are practical ways to make commercial grounds maintenance more environmentally friendly:
Lawn Mowing
Lawn mowing is a core task in commercial lawn maintenance. Traditionally, heavy-duty ride-on mowers consume large amounts of petrol or diesel. Switching to electric mowers reduces your carbon footprint and can save on fuel costs.
Consider allowing certain areas to grow wild or planting a wildflower meadow. These low-maintenance zones support pollinators and biodiversity while maintaining a professional appearance elsewhere on the site.
Grit & Gravel
For sites prone to icy conditions, gritting services are essential. However, excessive salt can damage vegetation and contaminate water sources. Partner with a private gritting company or commercial gritting contractor and follow local guidelines for safe winter gritting.
Sustainably sourced gravel or eco-friendly alternatives like porous asphalt can replace concrete, helping with drainage and reducing environmental impact.
Questions to ask:
- Who is responsible for road gritting? Typically, site managers or contracted gritting services handle this.
- When should gritting be done? Monitor local conditions and apply grit as required to maintain safety.
Pressure Washing
Pressure washing keeps paths, patios, and building exteriors clean, but can consume large amounts of energy and harm surrounding habitats. Using low-pressure settings, biodegradable cleaning products, and recycling wastewater can reduce environmental impact while lowering utility bills.
Mulching & Weed Management
Mulching recycles green waste, improves soil health, and retains moisture. It also naturally suppresses weeds, reducing the need for chemical treatments.
For weed removal, consider organic options such as hand weeding or using ground covers. Allowing a wildflower meadow to thrive can also reduce chemical use while boosting local biodiversity.
Sports Grounds & Fields
Large sports fields and courts can disrupt local ecosystems. To counteract this:
- Use natural turf and organic fertilisers.
- Introduce flowering borders and rewilded areas.
- Utilise open spaces for renewable energy, such as solar panels.
Professional sports ground maintenance contractors can integrate these strategies into routine upkeep to balance functionality and environmental care.
GMCB: Responsible Grounds Maintenance for Your Site
At GMCB, we offer comprehensive grounds maintenance services, including:
- Slope mowing, commercial lawn care, and specialist tree surgery
- Wildflower meadow management for low-maintenance, eco-friendly landscaping
- Sports ground maintenance to keep facilities in top condition year-round
- Seasonal grounds maintenance and commercial site clearance
Our team ensures your site looks professional, supports local wildlife, and embraces sustainable practices. Get in touch today to learn how GMCB can transform your commercial landscape.
