Environet, one of the leading UK specialists fighting Japanese Knotweed, has taken the bold move to be the first to offer 20 year guarantees on their knotweed eradication services. We asked Nic Seal from Environet to explain why.
Those who know anything about Japanese Knotweed will know how difficult it is to completely kill all knotweed rhizomes using chemical herbicides. Poor treatment can be counter-productive, often resulting in knotweed dormancy rather than death. Rhizome, the plant’s underground stem, can remain dormant in the ground for as long as 20 years, posing the threat of re-growth and re-infestation at any time.
For this reason many companies offering Japanese Knotweed services do not offer guarantees, and those that do limit their liability to only 5 years as standard. That’s not a great deal for the customer if the treatment has simply induced dormancy.
Environet took the decision to offer extended guarantees for up to 20 years in response to customer demand, but also to demonstrate the confidence they have in their Xtract™ method. After all, if companies claim “complete eradication”, why should they be afraid of offering a 20 year guarantee?
Environet developed and trialled a new on-site remediation method called Xtract™ in 2008. The method is particularly suited to development sites where rapid and complete eradication is necessary. Using purpose designed and built equipment akin to a large sophisticated weeding machine all viable rhizome is extracted from the infested soils, so that the soils can be re-used on site. It reduces haulage and waste to landfill by 98% and does not require the use of any herbicides.
With many projects successfully completed using Xtract™, and a track record of zero re-growth, the 20 year guarantees now offered by Environet should provide customers with peace of mind over alternative methods.
The Xtract™ method was selected by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council for the lottery funded environmental green space improvement works at Clifton Park, Rotherham.
“We were very excited to discover Environet’s innovative Xtract method, which seemed to provide a very cost effective solution, with minimal adverse environmental impacts, that could also fit our tight works programme” explained Andy Lee of Rotherham Metropolitan BC.