Yealm Estuary to Moor

More businesses are adopting sustainability as a core corporate strategy. Focus on carbon footprint reduction, resource efficiency, waste management, and biodiversity protection is key. Commercial/industrial sites within the catchment include the china clay works near Cornwood, Lee Mill industrial estate and Southwest Water facilities.

Industrial sites can have pockets of land (large or small), or boundaries where trees or hedges could be planted. Some industries already embrace the idea of nature recovery on their sites and we can learn from their experience. More space for nature can improve the outlook for employees and the surrounding community whilst increasing valuable habitat for wildlife.

Working with local industry could reduce the risk of flooding on site as well as run-off contaminating local waterways. Planting for sustainable drainage (SuDS) on industrial sites mimics natural hydrology, reducing the volume and speed of runoff from hard surfaces. Interventions such as bioswales, rain gardens, and wetland planting, capture, treat, and slowly release rainwater reducing flow.