Tag Archive for: play

Play your part in cutting carbon

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Play your part in cutting carbon: Here Anthony Nadalin, director of marketing at The Toro Company, explores how Paris is leading the way in the decarbonisation of a major European city and the role outdoor power equipment can have in helping local municipalities achieve this.

France is one of the nation’s leading the effort to decarbonise and improve city air quality for residents, commuters and tourists.

Play your part in cutting carbon

Play your part in cutting carbon

Currently, 12 urban areas in France – including in and around Paris – have implemented a low-emission zone, known as an m-EPZ. These initial zones are just the beginning, as an additional 31 towns and cities are set to implement similar schemes by 2025. Along with cutting carbon, low-emission zones have been implemented to improve urban air quality for those who reside or work within them.

As France’s capital city, you would expect Paris to be at the forefront of these measures. In fact, the French capital adopted its first climate action plan in 2007 and is currently implementing the third, covering 2020 – 2030. By 2050, the city aims to have achieved a 100% reduction in local emissions and an 80% reduction in its total carbon footprint, compared to 2004 levels.

At present, the focus of all of its low-emission zones is motor vehicles powered by fossil fuels. In practice, this means that only vehicles powered by modern, efficient petrol and diesel engines are permitted to enter a zone. By 2030, Paris will only allow battery and hydrogen-powered vehicles to enter the city and the surrounding areas.

However, for Paris to successfully reach its goal of reducing local carbon emissions by 100%, it will require outdoor power equipment – used by local municipalities and businesses – to transition from petrol to more sustainable alternatives such as battery.

Challenge and opportunity

This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for organisations using such equipment. The opportunity to get ahead of the curve by adopting all-electric machinery now. For commercial businesses, it demonstrates their commitment to sustainability, while also giving them first mover advantage. However, the challenge for municipal authorities and landscaping or groundskeeping professionals is whether they can transition to all-electric machinery without sacrificing productivity and increasing their costs.

Therefore, it is no surprise that many companies are turning to battery-powered outdoor power equipment manufacturers, such as Toro to find the right solution for them.

Leading the charge

Toro is leading the charge to help the people of Paris and beyond make the switch to cordless outdoor power equipment. Toro’s approach is based on three pillars: performance, ease of use and affordability.

A fundamental principle is that the all-electric versions must meet or exceed the performance of the petrol and diesel equivalents. This is why Toro’s Revolution Series products are commercial-grade equipment designed for professional use. For example, Toro’s proprietary HyperCell® battery system was developed to deliver all-day run times, helping meet the demands of various industries without hindering power or performance.

Ease of use means that all-electric machinery must be easy to operate with stress-free maintenance. It helps that Toro’s Revolution Series is built on the proven Grandstand® and Z Master® chassis and TURBO FORCE® platforms, meaning they’re familiar to contractors and service engineers.

Furthermore, Toro Total Care offers groundskeeping professionals 24/7 support while features such as integrated charging systems and software offer a more user-friendly experience.

There remains a lively debate around the cost of cordless equipment, but we believe we are winning the argument. For a long time, equipment rental companies have focused on the total cost of ownership rather than the ticket price. Calculating the lifetime costs of a piece of equipment – capital cost, fuel, service and maintenance, and end-of-life disposal – provides a much more accurate picture than how much it costs to buy.

For some time now we have seen increasing numbers of grounds care and gardening professionals start to view equipment in the same way – and in this light, cordless machinery represents greater value for money. Easy to maintain and cost-effective to run, it can also cut the total cost of ownership and contribute to greater business profitability.

To help companies understand the financial benefits of battery power, Toro has created a TCO calculator, enabling contractors and municipal authorities to calculate their operational return on investment.

Play your part

Paris is driving urban decarbonisation in France, with many other towns and cities following suit. By 2030, municipalities and landscaping or grounds care contractors will be driving into the Paris low-emission zone in electric or hydrogen vehicles. Surely it would look deeply incongruous and send the wrong message if these vehicles were carrying diesel or petrol-powered equipment?

Furthermore, as residents get used to cleaner and quieter vehicles, they will expect the same from the outdoor power equipment used to maintain their parks and open spaces.

Joining the transition to battery-powered OPE will play a huge role in achieving decarbonisation targets for businesses looking to join cities like Paris in transitioning to a cleaner, quieter and electrified future.

To find out more about how Toro is leading the charge, or to access its TCO calculator and begin investing in battery-powered equipment, visit: https://sites.toro.com/leadthecharge/index.html.

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Get your course back into play

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Get your course back into play: Greenkeepers must battle with a wide variety of challenges when it comes to turf health, and aeration is no different.

To simplify this important task, Toro’s high-quality tines were designed to make aeration remarkably easy with durable parts that maximise performance. Available only through Reesink Turfcare, its branches and approved dealer and service centres, now is the time to ensure your aeration equipment is ready.

During the hot summer season, soil can become dry and compact, reducing pore space that conveys water, oxygen and vital nutrients to your turf. Unfortunately, this phenomenon can degrade grass quality even on healthy and resilient golf courses.

Get your course back into play

Get your course back into play

While punching holes in the turf to increase pore space (aeration) addresses soil compaction and helps you prepare for autumn, to ensure optimal results you need high-quality tines that won’t let you down. And when it comes to quality it doesn’t get better than Toro’s Titan tines, with over 150 to choose from.

Whether you’re coring, slicing, spiking, or using hollow, solid or deep tines, the Titan range allows you to meet all of your aeration needs.

These tines aren’t just designed for Toro machines – they can also be adapted to fit equipment from most manufacturers thanks to special conversion sleeves. This way, Toro tines can be used with both current and older aerator models by converting a 9.5mm mount to a 12.7mm or 15.9mm mount.

Authentic Toro tines are engineered for exceptional performance and durability. They ensure uniform aeration depth, creating clean holes that enhance aeration effectiveness and lead to a faster return to play.

According to Michael Hampton, Purchasing & Sales Processing Manager at Reesink UK, “Toro’s genuine tines aren’t just versatile tools that will increase your productivity from the start – they can deliver significant savings in the long term, too. Thanks to their durable design, Toro Titan tines last longer and minimise costly downtime.”

“On the other hand, using low-quality tines can create new challenges and make aeration a time-consuming process,” he continues. “Imagine having to frequently replace broken tines, unclog cores and repair post-aeration damage. Instead of simplifying your operations, your problems are multiplied.”

With a lifespan of up to four times longer than other tines, Toro Titan’s range prevents these headaches, reducing the need for frequent replacements and adding certainty to your aeration process. Moreover, the durable tungsten carbide tips consistently deliver precise holes that promote quicker turf recovery and simplify de-compaction.

When you’re using original Toro machines, genuine parts ensure maximum performance and take the guesswork out of turfcare – there’s no need to wonder if the new part will work. You can also count on Toro’s commitment to user safety through extensive testing and swift parts delivery to your doorstep whenever you need it.

Want to learn more about the benefits of using original Toro tines? Discover how Reesink Turfcare and Toro can support your aeration initiatives by calling 01480 226800, emailing info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visiting reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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Green-tech provide the products for children to play and learn

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Green-tech provide the products for children to play and learn: Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn (YFD) is a primary school in Llandudno, Wales that is working hard to offer its young pupils a green space in which to play and learn.

In partnership with Conwy Borough County Council and Wild Elements, a not-for-profit social enterprise, the school wanted to create green spaces for the children of YFD to immerse themselves in natural materials and greenery. The site was selected due to its severely grey infrastructure and lack of green space.

Green-tech provide the products for children to play and learn

Green-tech provide the products for children to play and learn

Wild Elements is dedicated to getting people in North Wales outdoors and connecting them to nature, improving their lives, opportunities, and aspirations.

The school received a recommendation from another Local Nature Partnership Coordinator in Cardiff and after seeing the successes of their project they felt it was the best way forward to source the green infrastructure for the school site. Gareth Lloyd – head teacher of YFD comments “we felt the products offered by Green-tech were one of the few that we were satisfied to have green infrastructure installed on a Centre Based Child Care education estate.”

Green-tech supplied everything but the trees for this project which included 45 Hedera Helix Woerner Living Ivy Green Screens and 45 bespoke Planters in 3 different colours.

The living Green Screens provide instant and effective screening and are perfect for projects where an instant privacy green fence is required. They provide rigid, secure, and evergreen barriers which are low maintenance and easy to install. As well as being much more attractive than traditional fencing, they are an environmentally conscious choice that support an array of wildlife and help absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to provide cleaner air.

To ensure the green screens stay hydrated a Mona irrigation watering system was supplied for each screen. The Mona System is a 100% water efficient, subterranean plant irrigation system and provides cost effective tree and planter irrigation.  The system acts as a reservoir to hold water and distribute to the plant’s roots as and when required to ensure they remain healthy and grow.

Gareth continues, “Following the success of the Cardiff project under the same Welsh Government grant, we hoped to replicate the work as it was a big hit with the Cardiff primary school children. One of the main concerns raised in the project’s infancy was the lack of shade in the school. During the warmer months, it can become overwhelmingly hot for the children. We intended for the Ivy Screens to provide an adequate source of natural material shading for the children. We also wanted the Ivy Screens to be a space for the children to play, hide and immerse themselves in their games. It has made a huge impact to the children’s well-being and is greatly appreciated.”

Green-tech supplied 12 bespoke planters for trees in 3 different colours and 12 containerised anchor systems to secure each tree discreetly without impacting on the overall design. In addition, 16 bulk bags of Green-tree topsoil which is manufactured using organic compost and overburdened sand from quarries and perfect for projects focused on environmental sustainability and green credentials, was supplied.

There was a lot of products to be delivered and it was important that the delivery schedule met the needs of the school, without interrupting them, as well as Wild Elements installation plan. “It was logistically impressive!” comments head teacher Gareth Lloyd.” “Thanks for sorting the delivery to run so smoothly, one wagon in, the next one to follow”, Tom from Wild Elements adds.

Julieanne Quinlan, Local Nature Partnership Coordinator for Conwy adds, “the experience with Green-tech has been a wonderful one. James, their Sales Advisor, has been incredibly helpful and patient throughout the entirety of the project. We cannot thank Green-tech enough for making this project come to fruition. It has been a big hit with the school and the children, and we have great hopes for the future pupils of Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn. Diolch yn fawr (thank you very much).

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Play is on the way to GroundsFest

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Play is on the way to GroundsFest: GroundsFest is proud to announce a new strategic partnership with the Association of Play Industries (API), with the first event being held at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on 20 and 21 September 2023.

The Association of Play Industries (API) is the lead trade association for the UK play sector. Its member companies are the UK’s leading providers of outdoor playground equipment; indoor play equipment and safety surfacing for schools, local authorities, parish councils, leisure attractions, holiday parks, housing developments, hospitality venues and commercial enterprises.

Play is on the way to GroundsFest

Play is on the way to GroundsFest

The API will have a dedicated stand at GroundsFest to promote membership services and many of its members will be exhibiting. GroundsFest’s free educational seminar programme will also feature API-badged sessions.

As a result, GroundsFest will offer a one-stop shop for those involved in the selection, purchase, upkeep and replacement of play equipment and safer surfaces.

API Chair Mark Hardy, said: “We are looking forward to seeing how this new event will promote the play industry and in particular, provide an opportunity for API members to showcase their offerings.

“All API members abide by a strict professional Code of Conduct and are committed to value-for-money and long-term service and support. This exhibition will enable members to exhibit their products and demonstrate the high-quality, innovative and fun ranges so typical of our members.

“GroundsFest has the potential to widen the buying audience for our members and to introduce visitors to the many benefits of choosing an API member for their play project.”

Commenting on the partnership, GroundsFest’s Sales Director Charles Neale, said: “We are very excited and enthusiastic about the partnership between GroundsFest and the API. The play industry will form an integral part of the GroundsFest event profile in September 2023 and will give the play industry an ideal platform to promote its services and products to a highly relevant national audience of buyers and specifiers.

“GroundsFest really is uniting every corner of the groundscare industry,” continued Charles. “The GroundsFest team is working hard on all aspects of the industry – from turfcare to commercial vehicles – by providing added impetus and innovation as we go forward.”

For more information, please visit www.groundsfest.com

You can also follow GroundsFest on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @GroundsFest for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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Huxley Golf delivers security of play

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Huxley Golf delivers security of play: All members and visitors to Royal Troon Golf Club look forward to playing what is one of the most famous holes in golf, the Postage Stamp. The par 3 eighth hole on the 19th Century Club’s Old Course might be the shortest hole on the Open rota but it is one of the most challenging and revered.

That is why Huxley Golf was honoured to be asked to create an alternative winter tee for this iconic golf destination this autumn. The installation will help to ensure continuity of the Postage Stamp experience without compromise, using Huxley Golf Premier Tee Turf 2, the closest all-weather surface to natural grass. Royal Troon had previously trialled the idea of creating a separate winter tee from natural turf, but it was unable to withstand the extraordinary levels of wear and tear, as Course Manager, Billy McLachlan, explains:

Huxley Golf delivers security of play

Huxley Golf delivers security of play

“The Postage Stamp is an important feature of our Club. Being a short hole, the impacts of wear and tear on the tee are concentrated over a small area. This not only affects play during the winter, but it also impacts the start of the golf season because natural grass takes time to recover fully.

“Our recourse was to turn to Huxley Golf to help us find the optimal solution for our precise needs: one that would look good aesthetically and critically, live up to players’ expectations. As a result, we now have a permanent feature that we can switch to with minimal interruption when the landscape demands it. Over time, this will help preserve play to this exceptional hole.”

Huxley Golf used its superior Premier Tee Turf 2 to create the 12ft x 12ft (3.6m x 3.6m) tee, and supplemented this with a fringe surround, which will enable natural grass to seamlessly marry in around it.

Hugh Fraser, Scotland and North East England Area Manager at Huxley Golf, commented: “We understand that it can be a difficult decision for historic environments to work with the new generation of all-weather turf, but most now realise that Huxley Golf Premier Tee Turf 2 offers a superb option for winter play and to relieve wear and tear at any time of year. It has benefits to both the environment, the greenkeeping team and players, as it protects natural features, requires virtually no maintenance, and yet, offers golfers an incredibly realistic surface to hit from. Its unique surface gives players an excellent experience, even in the most demanding of situations and climates.”

The Huxley name has been synonymous with premium all-weather golf surfaces and products. Endorsed by the UK’s leading golf organisations as well as many legendary golfers and celebrities and their coaching teams, the Hampshire-based company’s artificial golf surfaces are in use all around the world at top-flight courses, resorts, and training academies. Across Scotland, Huxley Golf has also recently worked with St Andrews Links, Gleneagles Academy, the Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh, Gullane Golf Club and The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers Muirfield.

For more information visit www.huxleygolf.com or call 01730 829608.

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