Bedfordshire Golf Club are working towards becoming as sustainable and as eco friendly as possible.
With several ongoing projects promoting biodiversity, we are also looking at changes we can make as a club to further reduce our carbon footprint and impact on the environment.
See some of the projects and changes we are making below:
Our Greenkeeping Team have built and installed boxes for bats and birds around our courses to provide habitats and homes for our native wildlife. These are all made with reclaimed and leftover materials from other projects.
We hope this will encourage more diverse species to make their home here, and have already seen a variety of birds make use of these.
This summer we changed all of our takeaway cups and lids to the greenest version available.
We want to reduce our use of single use plastics as much as possible, and our new cups contain zero plastic and will degrade naturally with zero impact on the environment.
Reusable Branded Cups
We also have reusable travel cups available to purchase in our Pro Shop, which again limits the use of single use plastics and limits waste.
These come in a few different colours, with plans to expand the range eventually.
We have introduced a new brand of coffee in our clubhouse that is both great tasting, and is supporting a fantastic initiative.
Working with Kickstart Coffee, we aim to make a difference whilst we drink our daily cup of coffee before or after our game of golf.
At Kickstart Coffee, their mission is:
‘..to support developing communities in Uganda through the proceeds from our specialty coffee. We strive to empower the next generation to lead sustainable and fulfilled lives by investing in education and local development projects.
By directly sourcing our coffee from Mt. Elgon, Uganda, we promote sustainable agricultural practices and ensure that farmers are paid fairly for their coffee cherries. Additionally, we support the coffee-growing communities through various community-led projects.
Every bag of coffee sold makes a difference in empowering the next generation.’
Each month, Kickstart send us our impact statement, so we know as a club the difference we have made so far:
June:
Visit their website to learn more about the fantastic work they do, from supporting the local Ugandan farmers, local community and the schools and education they fund: https://kickstartcoffee.org/
The Greenkeeping Team have built homes for wildlife and insects using recycled materials from on and off the courses.
These are positioned in areas to create a welcoming and appealing home for native species, both little and large.
With volunteers from the local community, we have had a closer look at the species of moths we currently have at the golf club.
Recording over 100 different species (49 macros, 51 micros), we have a diverse variety of moths, and we hope to keep attracting more. They are a crucial part of the ecosystem, and help pollinate the surrounding areas. They also play a vital role in telling us about the health of our environment. Monitoring their numbers and ranges give us a good idea to the changes in our own environment.
See if you spot any on your next round!
Our woodland areas are managed by our Greenkeeping team, who encourage new growth and new habitats for our wildlife.
Using log piles to create a desirable environment for insects and small mammals, as well as our nesting boxes, the woodland areas are rich in diverse species. Clearing and thinning of dead wood and floor space encourages the beautiful flower species such as bluebells to flourish.
Our Pro shop team are working with brands to promote environmentally friendly products, and sustainable materials and processes.
Galvin Green – More than 80% of Galvin Green products are sustainable, using Bluesign-approved materials that use minimal water and electricity or potentially harmful chemicals in their fabrication.
Visit their page to see how they are working towards a more sustainable future, and their GEO Sustainable Golf Innovation Partnership:
Galvin Green Sustainability Commitments
Masters Golf – Biodegradable Tees – Masters Tee provide a 100% biodegradable product and packaging. The bamboo tees are ecologically friendly, with bamboo being a great alternative to wood or plastic, and a more sustainable source. The packaging is also 100% biodegradable.
Under Armour – Packaging – Under Armour now ship all items in recyclable packaging, paper and cardboard. No unnecessary plastic is used.
During 2023, we have brought in our very own hive of bees, and our Greenkeeper Steve has become our resident beekeeper, increasing the numbers which mean we are on to our third hive already.
Bees are great for the environment, not only being critical in the food and agricultural production, it is estimated that up to 90% of wild plants rely on bees to pollinate and help them survive.
Bees travel for miles gathering pollen and nectar, so they encourage diversity and sustainability throughout the eco system, which will help sustain our own eco system at BGC.
Steve has become an expert in the field, and has his own Youtube channel for you all to take a look at.
Watch this space for Bedfordshire Golf Club’s very own honey!
Visit Steve’s youtube on this link to see more: Bedfordshire Golf Club’s resident bees
BGC has a range of natural habitats that make great homes to all different species of wildlife.
The pond on the 14th has a rich variety of animals and insects, including an otter that has been spotted multiple times.
We are hoping to get our very own photos of this shy and elusive character, as well as the kingfishers seen regularly.
With the help of members, volunteers and people in our local community, we have been able to keep a good track of the species found on our land so far.
With several ongoing projects, such as planting more native shrubs and trees where gorse has been removed, we hope to increase and support the diversity of our plants and wildlife.
See below for the most up to date list of species:
For all our waste management, we use Sommers Waste Solutions.
With their help, we achieve 100% landfill avoidance.
General Waste | All general waste is emptied into our refuse truck and is taken to a materials recycling facility (MRF). A MRF is a large facility where all waste is placed onto conveyor belts and automatically (and manually) sorted. All recyclables that can be extracted from general waste will be, however all contaminated and un-recyclable materials will be segregated and sent for Energy to Recovery or Incineration. 100% landfill avoidance is therefore achieved. |
Dry Mixed Recycling | All recycling materials are sent to the relevant recycling processing plants for 100% recycling. |
Glass | Glass is collected and disposed of at the relevant glass recycling processing plants. The broken pieces are crushed, sorted, cleaned, and prepared to be mixed with other raw materials like soda ash and sand. The raw materials and glass pieces are melted in a furnace and then shaped into moulds to make new bottles of different colours and sizes. New recycled bottles and jars are made in this way. Recycled, processed and melted down glass can also be used in the construction industry and used in the construction of roads. |
Food | With the use of high-end technology, we make the most of any food waste by taking it to Anaerobic Digestion plants, where it is converted into biogas that can be used for electricity, heat or even biofuel for transport. Any residual bi product that is created in this process can be used as fertilizer to help farmers and their crops. |
Photos supplied for this page by Staff and Members at the club, including Mark Lewin, Barry Sullivan and Hilary Denny.
