Friends of the Lake District has clarified its position on the use of plastic tree guards — following growing calls for a ban in national parks across England and Wales.
Eleven organisations representing campaign groups want tree guards banned as a “highly-polluting microplastic,” although FoLD was the only one of 12 groups which had not signed up to the call.
But Douglas Chalmers, chief executive, has now said that the membership organisation plans to await the outcome of trials to plastic alternatives.
He said: “We no longer buy new plastic stock but reuse from our existing stock. When we do purchase further stock of tree tubes, we want to adopt a more environmentally-friendly solution.
“Of course we would welcome viable alternatives to the plastic currently available, and are closely following the research being done. We look forward to using other products that could provide the protection needed to grow trees successfully in Cumbria’s challenging conditions and allow us to phase out our current stocks of plastic tubing.”
Mr Chalmers said trials using sheep’s wool to protect saplings were promising but in their early stages.
“It would be wonderful to find an additional and more profitable outlet for some of the Lakeland sheep wool that also has the potential to reduce the use of plastics,” he said. “Helping local farmers and improving the environment would be an important win-win.”
“On many of our properties, including High Borrowdale (between Shap and Kendal) where we have planted nearly 15,000 trees, planting areas are very exposed and very wet.
“We have extensive experience of successfully growing tens of thousands of trees in Cumbria but to date have seen no alternative to plastic that is robust enough to allow us to grow trees successfully in our harsher environments. Cardboard rots away far too quickly.
“The tree guards we currently use are not biodegradable but are carefully managed and re-used many times, seeing many saplings through their first years before being removed and reused.”
