WEED CONTROL
Dublin City Council give green light for green weed control
reentown Environmental
G Ltd and Weedingtech ’ s
Foamstream have been chosen by Dublin City Council for the provision of herbicide weed control across the Dublin City area . It is the first contract of its kind in Ireland , with the council making the bold decision to move away from herbicide-based weed control and seek greener alternatives . Greentown has been carrying out weed control for Dublin City Council since 2010 , initially as a subcontractor before securing the principal contractor role in 2014 . Greentown is a weed control company , not a chemical company , and in 2017 they started exploring glyphosate alternatives .
In 2018 they trialled several chemicalfree methods and Foamstream was the clear winner . With a strong belief in this product , Managing Director John-Ross Armstrong decided to heavily invest in the equipment required to carry out this service to its full potential . “ We are responsible weed control providers and we wanted to source a viable alternative , so we have this as an option to offer our clients .” He says . “ We are conscious that there has been a shift towards greener methods , and we wanted to ensure we have a solution and that we are the market leader .”
Foamstream is an innovative approach to weed control and has the desired benefit of being completely herbicide free . Its patented lowpressure process combines heat with biodegradable foam , making it safe for use around people , animals , and delicate environments . The foam is created through a mixture of plant oils , wheat proteins , and sugars . It is supplied by Furlong Equipment , the exclusive importer and distributor of the solution to help organisations in Ireland make outdoor areas greener , cleaner and safer . They customise the machines for county councils and public works and , for Greentown , modified the skid unit to load on the truck , and added an extendable boom .
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“ We are conscious that there has been a shift towards greener methods , and we wanted to ensure we have a solution and that we are the market leader .”
52 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | April / May 2021