Trial of herbicide-free area in South Lanarkshire

It was one of a number of actions agreed, following a detailed look at the council’s spending on herbicides and pesticides.

During the course of their work, council officers were able to reduce herbicide usage by approximately nine per cent during 2021. Alternative treatment methods were also investigated. The target is to reduce herbicide usage by a further ten per cent during 2022.

Council Leader John Ross said: “We are determined to do what we can to reduce the amount of herbicides and pesticides used by the council.

“This is an extremely complex area of work and is not without its challenges, but there are some solutions which may prove beneficial.”

The council’s grounds services team tried out four alternative methods of weed control throughout 2021. Unfortunately, the trials did not identify any suitable replacement that could be used across all land types, which made it impossible to accurately evaluate the financial implications.

There were various environmental impacts associated with each of the alternatives, and the service is still trying to identify a suitable environmental indicator that would allow a comparison across all options. The service will continue to investigate ways of evaluating the environmental impacts of the alternatives.

One alternative method used was hot foam and opportunities to expand its use will be investigated during the coming months.