The Davey Tree Expert Company provides residential and commercial tree service and landscape service throughout North America. Read our Flipbooks for helpful tips and information on proper tree and lawn care.
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43 Our largest water consumption happens at the job site, during the mixing of chemicals and for application on landscapes. As a provider of tree and landscape services, our chemical footprint includes fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and growth regulators. While it is difficult to accurately track field water use, in 2015, we began estimating this consumption using our chemical inventory as a proxy. In 2016, we added total fertilizers to the inventory. In addition, we strengthened the chemical inventory to include both liquid and solid chemical use. is year, we estimate our field water use to be 263,261 cubic meters, an increase of 2 percent from last year. Currently, Davey employs robust protocols and supports research around responsible selection and use of chemicals. Davey follows EPA guidance on chemical risk reduction methods for appropriate geographic regions, and provides additional guidance for our utility division. We also participate in EPA industry conversations regarding the assessment and modification of chemical regulations. Additionally, we plan to collaborate with chemical suppliers to identify and develop chemicals that require less water for application. Our landscape Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ) program, which was validated in 2016, will ultimately help provide more sustainable landscape choices for our business units and customers. e EIQ facilitates comparison between different landscape management strategies by quantifying the overall impacts of chemical usage on the environment. rough this EIQ, we are better able to understand the risks associated with pesticide products in urban landscapes. Derived from existing agricultural EIQ models, our landscape EIQ provides a tool for us and the clients we serve to consider the environmental impacts of product use. Increasingly, customers are looking for a wider range of options around plant health care and maintenance. Davey is working with researchers and suppliers to optimize the type and frequency of chemical use in the field. Over time, we are confident that strong chemical management, policies, strategic goals and awareness will lead to efficiency gains in our water use. Informed by the materiality assessment, we plan to set goals around water management in 2017. WATER USE (CUBIC METERS) G4-EN8, INDICATOR 2015 2016 Water consumption from chemical mixing 257,364 263,261 2016 CHEMICAL USE (LITERS/KILOGRAMS) Chemical Category Liquid (L) Solid (kg) Fungicides 9,890.96 3,290.77 Growth Regulators 21,452.03 21,452.03 Herbicides 2,158.05 58.44 Insecticides 58,557.65 53,994.20 Fertilizers 125,551.66 663,823.57 Rodenticides 0 6.89 Adjuvants 31.22 0