Reducing our impact on the environment – Our Work Continues

Minimising our impact on the environment around us is a key part of how we develop our operations. Some practices are already well-ingrained, such as recycling green waste into compost for re-use in our cemeteries.

Another development is how we can phase out some of the chemical substances used in our work for more eco-friendly alternatives.

Around the world we are responsible for maintaining more than one million headstones, in almost every climate imaginable. Keeping them clean, legible and in good condition requires continual cycles of maintenance.

In recent decades, we have often relied on chemical biocides to clean biological growth from stone, particularly in northern Europe where the milder climate encourages algae growth.

We have carried out a lot of research into alternative cleaning methods and the use of enzymes in particular.  Experts at the University of Ghent have been helping us with this and carried out some research with us.  Enzymes offer a different way to combat natural growth on stone in a much more sustainable way.

An enzyme is a substance that acts as a catalyst to encourage a reaction to take place. In this case the treatment helps to naturally break down biological growth over a long period of time.  Chemical biocides act much more quickly but have a greater environmental impact.

We must also consider the age of our historic estate. Many of our headstones are now over 100 years old. As well as ensuring names and inscriptions are legible, we must responsibly care for the stone itself.

The results of testing from the last few years with enzymes treatments are very promising. In Belgium we have now completely phased out the use of biocides and have begun switching to the enzyme-based alternative.

Visitors are unlikely to notice any difference at all. Our high standards have not changed. Headstones will continue to be regularly inspected and cleaned when needed.

Using products that are less harmful to the environment, and indeed to the stone itself, is all a part of how we continue to adapt to the world around us, while carrying on with the all-important work that keeps our global teams busy all year.