World Bee Day: How Biffa is creating a buzz about biodiversity

Without bees and other insects, almost £700 million of crops wouldn’t get pollinated and every one in three mouthfuls of food we eat wouldn’t be available. 

Yet over the past 80 years the UK has lost 97% of its wildflower habitats, increasing the distance bees must travel to collect pollen, forage, and shelter. 

As a result, a third of wild bee and hoverfly species in the UK are in decline with rarer species and solitary bees most at risk of extinction. This decline will only continue with increased use of pesticides and habitat loss. 

To mark World Bee Day, Connie Turner, Biffa’s Group Sustainability Manager, explains what the UK’s leading sustainable waste management company is doing to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, and how its Biffa Bees campaign is making a difference across the UK. 

What is Biffa Bees?  

Biffa Bees promotes biodiversity through the creation of new natural habitats. Wildflower seeds, bulbs and apple tree saplings are distributed to our colleagues across the UK to be planted at Biffa depots and also donated to the community, including schools, sports teams and anyone else who wants to do their bit for the environment. We also show people how to create special ‘hotels’ for solitary bees, as well as information on bee and pollinator friendly plants.   

What has Biffa Bees achieved so far? 

Since launching Biffa Bees in 2019 we have distributed more than 40,000 packets of seeds, 35,000 bulbs and 360 apple trees. This year we are distributing another 19,000 packets of seeds. Each packet contains 27 different varieties of annual, perennial and biennial wildflower seeds, including buttercup, campion, foxglove, goat's beard and marigold. All these small projects are making such a big difference to local wildlife. 

How can people get involved in Biffa Bees?  

For loads of handy guides and instructions on how to plant the right flowers, and how to build bee hotels and planters, please visit our dedicated Biffa Bees page for more details. If you have any other questions, please email biffabees@biffa.co.uk 

Why are Biffa’s own sites good for biodiversity? 

Enhancing biodiversity is a key part of Biffa’s Sustainability Strategy. We’d set a target of managing 30% of our 4,500-acre landfill portfolio across the UK by 2030, but this is already at 32%.   

Our landfill sites offer great opportunity to support biodiversity. Once our landfills are full, we restore and manage them, creating sites for recreation, nature or livestock. This dedicated space gives species such as bees, butterflies and other wildlife a much-needed space to thrive.  

Our landfill site at Eye in Cambridgeshire is one of our top spots for rare and wonderful plants, animals and insects.  
   
Although part of the site is still a working landfill for incoming waste that can’t be re-used, recycled or transformed into energy, closed and restored areas are being returned to nature as part of a long-term conservation commitment which considers and aligns to the ecological requirements of the surrounding area. 

READ MORE: Rare butterflies thriving at former landfill