January News

Happy New Year. At Alitex we take our impact on the environment very seriously and have done for some time. To this end we are now embarking upon formalising our internal management of our environmental impact by implementing BS8555; this will put in place a system allowing us to be audited for accreditation for ISO 14001 (The European Standard). Angela Tonge who manages our Health & Safety Management is very well qualified to install Environmental Management at Alitex. Prior to working for us she was a board member of SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency), Scotland's equivalent of England's Environment Agency.

Aluminium is the world's third most abundant mineral (8%) and current recycling achievements of 73% means that within about 50 years there will be sufficient bankable aluminium in the system - which will see the ceasing of bauxite mining. It will also see a reduction in energy costs because recycling only uses 5% of the energy required for smelting bauxite. I am telling you all of this 'techno stuff' because when you are justifying the added costs aluminium has over wood and UPVC you can feel good about the long term benefit you are making to the environment. Currently there are no positive recycling policies for either wood or UPVC.

Chelsea 2008 will soon be upon us (May 19th to 24th). We will have our stand on Central Avenue and will be showing our National Trust Greenhouses with the latest addition of the 'Hinton', a lobbied greenhouse 2. 6m x 4m. We will also be showing our latest cold frame product. In recognition of this product launch (and there will be an introductory offer for this new greenhouse) I am running a small competition for Chelsea.  The first three correct answers drawn from the hat on the question below will be awarded with 2 entry tickets for the Friday of Chelsea week. The ten runners up will receive an Alitex 2008 flower pack. Alitex chooses a plant of the year, which we promote in our marketing. This year is the year of    "Astrantia Major", a very pretty flower extensively used in the planting at NT Hidcote.

Competition Detail:

What was the name of the property first described by its owner as "It is a good and peaceful place, standing in terraced lawns nigh to a walled garden of old, red brick and two fat headed oast houses with red brick stomachs, and an aged silver grey dovecote on top.....we entered and felt her spirit - her Feng Shui - to be good".