Mitre 10 to phase out neonicotinoids

Mitre 10 (New Zealand) Ltd

13 August 2018

Mitre 10 New Zealand has today announced products containing neonicotinoids will be phased out of its 82 stores from 1 November 2018.

The decision from the country’s biggest garden retailer comes following an in-depth review, which began earlier this year, of pesticides containing the neonicotinoids believed to contribute to bee decline: imidacloprid, thiacloprid and clothianidin.

Mitre 10 CEO Neil Cowie says the company has considered at length the information available and has made the decision in keeping with the company’s commitment to addressing matters of the environment.

“The welfare of bees and the wider environment is very important to us at Mitre 10,” says Mr Cowie.

“As the country’s biggest home improvement and garden retailer, we take our duty to be socially responsible very seriously and always strive to do the right thing by our customers, communities and the environment.

“We recognise there is growing concern around neonicotinoid use and have decided to remove products containing neonicotinoids from our shelves.

“This is not something we have decided lightly. We understand how valuable bees are to the environment and are now assured there are alternative products available that meet gardeners needs yet do not pose the same risk to bees,” says Mr Cowie.

Mitre 10 also stocks an organic range of pest control products and is working with supplier partners to introduce further options before the end of the year.

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