Weedkiller ban took us by surprise, says garden centre
A RETAILER of glyphosate-based weedkiller has seen sales of the product increase sharply since the States declared an imminent ban on Monday – an announcement which it said came with very little warning.
A large majority of the weedkilling products sold at garden centres contain the chemical, but the States has decided to outlaw its general sale from 31 October, with gardeners obliged to stop using it by the end of the year.
When approached by the Guernsey Press, RH Gaudion garden centre manager Chris Padgham said the first he knew about the ban was last Friday, when the company received an email from the States detailing 152 products that would be affected.
‘It was just a shock to find that this was going on because no-one had approached us or said anything at all,’ he said.
‘It would have been nice to have been consulted.’
Garden centre director Justin Smith said he found out about the ban on Monday morning, by which time customers were already turning up to buy it ahead of the restriction on sales.
‘We would have expected to have heard this, initially, from our suppliers of the product, hearing it was going to be banned in the EU, rather than Guernsey banning it itself,’ he said.
They said the sudden decision by the States had left them in a difficult position, with only about 1 in 50 customers currently choosing glyphosate-free products.
‘I don’t think we’re going to have much of it left over but we’re going to have to be very careful how much we buy, depending what the public feeling is for it,’ said Mr Padgham.
‘Now everyone’s panic buying but we are making customers aware that they’ve got to use it by the end of the year.’
Any glyphosate-based product remaining in the possession of non-certified users at the end of 2022 should be disposed of through the hazardous waste facility at the Household Waste & Recycling Centre at Longue Hougue.
The island’s 100 or so certified users, such as farmers, growers, landscape gardeners and the States itself, will be able to continue using it.
Mr Smith said garden centres had experienced bans on certain products before, such as when sales of Pathclear – which then contained simazine – were restricted in 1997. However, he felt this restriction would have a greater effect on the business, with glyphosate being an ingredient in 80% of its weedkilling products in stock.
‘This is just a blanket ban on the whole glyphosate shebang,’ he said.
No information had yet been given to the business about whether certified users would be able to buy glyphosate-based products from there. This could be done on presentation of a certificate in combination with signing a poisons book, they said.
At present, certified users typically buy larger quantities of more highly concentrated glyphosate products from commercial suppliers.
Mr Padgham suggested a ban on the general sale of products above a certain strength may have been more appropriate.
‘Why didn’t they ban everything over 5%, over 9% or over 12%? Because there must be a percentage where it’s safe,’ he said.
Stan Brouard and Earlswood were also approached for comment.
