Brighton and Hove city council has just pledged to become a pesticide-free city by 2022. A three-year plan is being put in place, focusing predominately on halting the use of glyphosate.
Glyphosate is a toxic herbicide and is the worlds most widely sold weed killer. The product has many harmful effects, with experts from the Pesticide Action Network and the Soil Association believing that alongside destroying the environment and wildlife, it can also cause cancer in humans.
Cllr Anne Pissaridou, who is the new chair of the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability (ETS) committee, has said:
“Following advice from the Pesticide Action Network, officers are developing a three year plan with a view to moving towards ending the use of pesticides.
“We have already started to reduce the amounts of glyphosate used in city parks, housing land and public highways. However, we believe we can accelerate the reduction in use.
“I’m aware of the cross-party support and growing strength of feeling that residents would like the city to be pesticide free.”
The three-year plan will focus on banning the use of glyphosate in all of Brighton’s open space, pavements, cities, pavements, and housing land.
Cllr Pissaridou, who has been the key driver in making a ban happen, added:
“We will be limiting the use of glyphosate to lower footfall areas only and using other new technologies including hot foam, infra-red technology and other solutions to ensure only the minimum amount of pesticide required is used.
“This new technology promises to achieve up to an 80 per cent reduction in the amount of glyphosate used.
“Overall, we should achieve in excess of 95 per cent reduction in the use of glyphosate by the council this year as compared to last year.
“In future years we will be aiming to eliminate the use of glyphosate by the council and working with partners and residents to replicate this across the city”
Featured image: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
