Darren Greatbatch, Specialist Advisory Manager, Amenity & Invasive Weeds, at Environment Controls.
Last reviewed on 22nd.
The debate around Glyphosate continues – here’s what’s happening in 2026
By Darren Greatbatch
The use of Glyphosate to control amenity weeds will always be a topic of debate, and as alternatives are trialled and tested with less effective results, the question a lot of councils and local authorities want to know the answer to is – how can herbicide usage be reduced without affecting overall efficacy?
In this article amenity weed management specialists demonstrate how investment in modern application technology can deliver measurable environmental and cost benefits. This is especially beneficial for UK councils and local authorities looking to reduce herbicide and water usage.
National contractors Environment Controls (EC) have developed a unique system of herbicide application. Utilising this new system in 2026 has delivered results that prove the efficacy of their investment in R&D. The system was developed by EC’s specialist amenity manager, who is committed to the responsible, sustainable and evidence-based use of glyphosate for amenity vegetation management.
EC’s approach focuses on the use of highly targeted, low-volume herbicide application techniques to deliver effective weed control whilst minimising environmental impact, resource consumption and unnecessary treatment inputs.
Most significantly a 60% reduction in herbicide usage, with 60% less water used on large council contracts across England and Wales.
REDUCING CHEMICAL & WATER USAGE
Within the amenity sector, EC considers low-volume herbicide application to be the most efficient and sustainable method of weed control for managing vegetation on highways, footways, hard surfaces, public open spaces and other operational assets. By applying a precisely calibrated dose of herbicide directly to the target vegetation, low-volume spraying significantly reduces water usage, minimises vehicle movements associated with refill operations and improves application accuracy compared with conventional high-volume spraying methods.
LOWERING CARBON EMISSIONS
This precision-based approach ensures that only the required amount of product is applied to achieve effective control, reducing the potential for off-target application while maintaining operational efficiency and providing value for money to their clients. The reduced water requirement also contributes to lower fuel consumption, lower carbon emissions and improved productivity throughout treatment programmes.
SAFE AND CONSISTENT WEED CONTROL
EC supports the principles of Integrated Weed Management (IWM) and can advise clients on the development of wider vegetation management strategies. However, EC’s operational delivery within amenity environments is centred on targeted low-volume herbicide application as the primary and most effective method of achieving safe, consistent and economically sustainable weed control outcomes.
MORE COST EFFECTIVE THAN TRADITIONAL METHODS
EC believes this approach offers the most cost-effective solution for budget-constrained local authorities, enabling large areas to be managed efficiently while reducing labour requirements, water consumption, fuel use, vehicle movements and associated carbon emissions. By applying herbicides accurately and only where required, low-volume application techniques help minimise environmental impact, reduce wastage and support the responsible stewardship of plant protection products. This allows local authorities to maintain safe, accessible and well-presented public spaces while delivering demonstrable value for money and protecting the wider environment through a measured, evidence-based approach to vegetation management.
ENVIRONMENTALLY BETTER
A key environmental benefit achieved by EC has been the significant reduction in both water consumption and overall herbicide requirement through the adoption of low-volume application technology across our spraying fleet. Traditional amenity spraying operations often rely on high water volumes to deliver treatments, resulting in increased refill frequency, additional vehicle movements and greater operational downtime. By utilising calibrated low-volume spraying systems, EC is able to treat substantially larger areas between refills while delivering the required dose of active ingredient accurately to the target vegetation. This approach has enabled us to reduce water usage by many thousands of litres across annual treatment programmes, improving productivity and reducing fuel consumption associated with refill operations.
TARGETTED APPLICATION
Furthermore, the improved targeting and application accuracy achieved through low-volume techniques helps ensure that glyphosate is applied only where required and at the correct dose, supporting responsible stewardship of plant protection products whilst avoiding unnecessary product use. The combined reduction in water consumption, refill journeys, fuel use and associated carbon emissions demonstrates how investment in modern application technology can deliver measurable environmental benefits alongside cost savings and operational efficiencies for local authority clients.
COMPLIANCE IS VITAL
All glyphosate and other pesticide applications undertaken by EC are carried out by suitably trained and certificated operatives using approved products and calibrated equipment, strictly in accordance with product labels, statutory conditions of use and industry best practice. Comprehensive record keeping, equipment calibration, environmental risk assessments and quality assurance procedures form an integral part of every treatment programme.
Through the adoption of precision low-volume application technology and evidence-based herbicide programmes, EC seeks to deliver safe, effective and sustainable vegetation management solutions that protect public assets, control invasive weed species and maximise value for clients while maintaining high environmental standards.
Get in touch if you’d like to know more or see how we can help you with more efficient amenity weed management solutions.