Top 5 Green Businesses in South Devon: Supporting Local While Going Green

Guest Blog Post - Greenly.earth*

South Devon boasts a breathtaking coastline and scenic countryside that both locals and tourists enjoy. However, a huge amount of effort is needed to maintain it in a world where climate change is a huge concern. Businesses in the area are leading from the front, embracing corporate sustainability practices to play their part in preserving the beauty of the region and the world as a whole.

Today, we'll look at five of the most impactful ones you can visit or support.

Pennywell Farm (Buckfastleigh)

Pennywell Farm has won several awards as both a tourist destination and a sustainable business. The farm lets you reconnect with nature by bringing you close to a wide variety of animals. A highlight is the Pennywell miniature pig, which actually has its roots in this farm. You'll get to pet them, watch them race, and also interact with red deer, miniature donkeys, rabbits, Guinea pigs, mice, and more. Besides the animals, there are also hands-on farm activities, farmyard rides, and ponds with lots of water life.

While providing all these, Pennywell Farm is always keen to do the best for the environment. First, the farm is self-sufficient when it comes to power. It produces its own power through an array of 194 solar panels whose energy is well tracked. The ponds in the farm are fed with run-off water from the car parks and barn roofs, enhancing sustainability. All activities in the farm are also environmentally friendly, and there are information boards that help visitors discover some fun and sustainable ways they can welcome wildlife into their homes.

Salcombe Gin (Salcombe)

Salcombe Gin only launched in 2015, and within a year, their first product (Start Point) won Gold at the World Gin Awards and Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The company has since expanded across the country and continues to become a household name.

Salcombe Gin has its roots in the sea and has focused on conserving marine life since its launch. The founders, Howard and Angus, met while teaching sailing in the South Devon coastline. Now, their standout sustainability project is they pledged to donate 1% of all sales to the Marine Conservation Society. This aims to help vital ocean regeneration projects, mostly seagrass conservation.

But besides that, the electricity used in the facility is 100% renewable. The company also has a Gin Refill scheme (instead of recycling), where customers who participate by bringing back bottles get a 20% discount.

Salcombe Gin organises several events you can attend, and they usually partner with zero-water companies when doing so.

Riverford Organic Farmers (Buckfastleigh)

Riverford is known for its tasty organic food and has been around for over 25 years. In itself, the company's organic farming protects natural resources, encourages wildlife, uses less energy, and avoids pollution from artificial chemicals as the company doesn't use pesticides or fertilisers.

On top of that, Riverford Organic Farm sources its electricity from Ecotricity, which mostly generates its power from the sun and wind. The farm has also started producing its own wind energy, looking to scale up things to 100% self-sufficient power. This is also the case in switching from diesel to electric vans. Currently, the switch is up to 30% of the fleet, and it is looking to reach 100% electric by 2025.

Green Scheme Solutions (Yelverton)

Green Scheme Solutions, located in Yelverton, specialises in providing eco-friendly rubber and plastic products. It makes bespoke outdoor playscapes and instals them in schools, parks, and nurseries across the country. They also make fake grass for homes, commercial spaces, and sports grounds.

The company is committed to reducing plastic and rubber waste, so all products are made of recycled materials. This is then embraced in all stages of production to ensure minimal environmental impact.

CleanEco (Totnes)

CleanEco has made a name for itself as "Devon's Greenest Cleaning Company." It was established 18 years ago, and its goal is to create solutions that re-imagine waste as a valuable resource. Its solutions are already helping in aerosol recycling, confidential destruction, plastic recycling, and reconditioning and reuse of industrial packaging.

This plays a huge role in reducing the pollution these products bring and helps create a more sustainable environment for both land and marine life.

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