1. Purpose
This policy sets out Murzo Group's approach to land, soil, water, farming environments, pollution prevention, biodiversity, drainage, resource use, and environmental stewardship.
The purpose is to support responsible land use, protect water and soil, reduce pollution risk, preserve biodiversity, and ensure farming, development, storage, and operational activity is planned with environmental care.
2. Scope
This policy applies to Murzo Group activities involving land, farms, growing spaces, storage areas, yards, buildings, watercourses, drainage, soil, substrates, chemicals, fertilisers, nutrients, waste, fieldwork, trials, development, and supplier-controlled agricultural environments.
It applies to employees, contractors, suppliers, land managers, project partners, consultants, and visitors where Murzo Group has responsibility or influence.
3. Stewardship Principles
Murzo Group will take a practical, risk-based, and improvement-focused approach to environmental stewardship.
- Prevent pollution to air, land, surface water, groundwater, drains, and neighbouring property
- Protect soil structure, organic matter, biodiversity, habitats, water quality, and natural drainage where reasonably practicable
- Manage nutrients, chemicals, substrates, animal by-products, waste, fuel, and stored materials carefully
- Use water responsibly and consider drought, flood, runoff, and local catchment impacts
- Escalate environmental incidents, spills, unauthorised discharges, contamination, or permit concerns promptly
4. Land & Soil Management
Murzo Group will consider soil health, erosion, compaction, contamination, nutrient balance, ground conditions, invasive species, and previous land use when planning relevant activities.
Activities involving excavation, ground disturbance, storage, grazing, cultivation, rearing, trials, construction, or waste spreading must be assessed for environmental risk before work begins.
5. Water Protection & Drainage
Murzo Group must not allow polluting substances to enter watercourses, surface water drains, groundwater, or land where they may cause harm.
Drainage plans, site layouts, bunding, spill kits, wash-down areas, chemical storage, vehicle washing, wastewater routes, and discharge points should be reviewed where relevant.
6. Nutrients, Substrates, Chemicals & Waste
Fertilisers, manures, slurry, substrates, feedstocks, chemicals, fuels, oils, pesticides, cleaning agents, animal by-products, packaging, and waste must be stored, handled, used, transported, and disposed of in a way that reduces pollution and legal risk.
High-risk materials should be segregated, labelled, contained, protected from rain, kept away from drains where required, and inspected periodically.
7. Permits, Consents & Local Requirements
Certain activities may require permits, exemptions, licences, consents, waste-transfer documentation, water abstraction approvals, discharge permits, planning conditions, environmental assessments, or local authority engagement.
Murzo Group must not start regulated activity until required permits, consents, or professional checks are in place.
8. Biodiversity & Habitat Protection
Murzo Group will consider biodiversity and habitat impacts when planning land-based activity, site works, sourcing, farming, trials, and development.
Where appropriate, activity should avoid unnecessary harm to protected species, nesting areas, water margins, hedgerows, mature trees, pollinator habitats, and sensitive ecosystems.
9. Environmental Incidents
Spills, leaks, unauthorised discharges, odour, pest incidents, runoff, fish kills, chemical exposure, soil contamination, waste mismanagement, flooding, or other environmental incidents must be reported promptly.
Murzo Group may stop work, contain the incident, notify authorities, protect evidence, seek specialist support, communicate with affected parties, and implement corrective action.
10. Records, Review & Responsibilities
Murzo Group will keep proportionate records of land checks, environmental risk assessments, permits, waste transfers, water checks, chemical inventories, incidents, supplier evidence, inspections, and corrective actions.
Managers, project owners, farm leads, site leads, procurement leads, sustainability leads, and authorised representatives are responsible for applying this policy. It will be reviewed periodically and when land use, farming activity, legal duties, or environmental risks change.
