Want an eco-friendly horse bedding? – Sorbeo is here for you

The equestrian industry isn’t known for its green credentials.

Horse owners generate vast amounts of waste: feed bags, bedding bags, tired rugs, plastic tubs… all ending up in landfill. Single-use bedding alone contributes to many tons of redundant waste.

Sorbeo has resolved to do better. In a mission to help you ‘Reduce Your Carbon Hoofprint,’ Sorbeo is an eco-friendly horse bedding that is 100 per cent carbon neutral.

Our carbon footprint

Made in south west Scotland, on the edge of the Dumfries and Galloway forest, Sorbeo bedding is manufactured using virgin spruce pine grown within a 60 miles radius. The short distance saves on haulage mileage. To reduce carbon emissions further, some of the felled trees are shipped to the Ayrshire factory by boat. The North Channel sea harbour at Girvan has been re-opened to serve this purpose. Few global wood pellet manufacturers can boast such a small carbon footprint.

With every bag of eco-friendly horse bedding bought, the Sorbeo consumer buys into a unique cycle of sustainability. Every tree Sorbeo harvests is replaced with a forest seedling. Our forests are registered with the Forest Stewardship Council, which promotes responsible forest management by setting standards and labeling them as eco-friendly.

The Sorbeo factory runs on its own energy pellets feeding biomass boilers, and all carbon created through manufacture is offset by the trees Sorbeo replants. There are no by-products, and no waste. Every inch of every tree is used. Even the bark that is stripped from the logs is used in the biomass process. It is a uniquely tidy process, with an ultra-low net carbon displacement of over 95%.

Sorbeo’s commitment to sustainability doesn’t finish with the end product. Its entire staff, its support network, supply chain and spending comes from within the same 60-mile Ayrshire radius. The company has well deserved its ‘Proud Supporter’ status within the pristine Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere – one of only four Biospheres in the UK.

Beware cheap imports

Since 2006 the market in wood pellet bedding has grown to 20% – but few fit the eco-friendly horse bedding bill. Cheap imports come largely from Eastern Europe and Russia, countries that lack forestry stewardship. Forests are cut down and not replaced; trees are logged illegally. Imported pellets might be made from compressed sawdust and waste wood (eg, old pallets) which make the finished bed dusty and brittle. Some pellets have glue additives to bind them together as the natural adhesive (lignin) has been destroyed. These pellets are primarily for biomass and the energy market, subject to just 5% VAT  – and if sold for equestrian bedding, the supplier (and buyer) are breaking the law.

A word on packaging

Bans on plastic are proliferating across the globe but what should we replace it with? Most life-cycle assessments of different types of bags have come to the same conclusion: when it comes to climate change and other environmental problems, plastic is actually ‘greener’ than paper, which costs a lot more in terms of resources and pollution to produce.

But it’s not about the amount of plastic we use; rather what we do with it once it’s done its job. Plastic is perfect for recycling. The main problem is that the UK government hasn’t issued a UK-wide blanket policy to reach out to all councils across the country.

Currently, no two UK councils have the same rules. Some offer kerbside collections for all plastics while others don’t. Some recycling centres can deal with all types of plastic from bottle, bins, bags and wrap – while some can’t take any.

Sorbeo is packaged using recyclable LDPE04 plastic (Low Density Polythene), while the company is currently trialing ‘paper’ alternatives from Sweden. Until a waterproof paper can be found that isn’t a mix of polymer sandwiched with paper (unrecyclable in the UK), Sorbeo prefers the idea of recycled plastic. This will allow us to keep costs down, while giving us the satisfaction that we’re removing a certain tonnage of plastic from the environment to turn into our new bags.

Ultimately, we want to demonstrate to customers that we are a business which invests in its local community and which is dead serious about sustainability.

Sorbeo is the best bedding for horses and ponies – read on…

There are so many stable bedding options around at the moment – how do you know which is the best bedding for horses?

We are confident that you can’t go far wrong by choosing Sorbeo.

Sorbeo is a completely natural product offering a real alternative to the more traditional forms of horse bedding including wood shavings, straw, paper and cardboard.

Made from 100% spruce pine which has natural antiseptic qualities, Sorbeo makes a dense but soft supportive bed ideal for horses with hoof issues or for simply keeping feet healthy. It will heal thrush, dry out mud fever, keep mites out of feathers and give support to laminitic horses and ponies. Hooves won’t be starved of moisture and any sand cracks, grass cracks or seedy toe will improve, encouraging healthy hoof growth.

While you need to add water to the bedding initially, Sorbeo will continue to absorb any moisture that your horse produces. This best bedding for horses will fluff up to around three times it’s volume – and not only will it stay dry, but odours will be absorbed too.

Horses and ponies with allergies and asthma will be safe on Sorbeo. Rest assured that dust-free Sorbeo harbours no mites or spores which make your horse cough. Any animal with breathing issues will be comfortable on Sorbeo too – it’s by far the best bedding for horses and ponies.

Put simply, Sorbeo won’t let you or your horses down.

Sorbeo – the most absorbent horse bedding! Check it out…

Sorbeo is a super absorbent horse bedding that provides a high quality and cost effective bed. It absorbs up to three times its own volume of water making a rich, soft, pale, perfect bed which is comfortable and supportive. It’s ideal for horses and ponies with foot issues or simply for their general well-being… it’s hypoallergenic too! Therefore it won’t cause any allergic reactions.

Sorbeo absorbent horse bedding is made from virgin spruce pine soft wood collected from sustainable Scottish forests. Our wood is slowly roasted over a few days using our own biomass boilers which extracts every milligram of moisture from the finished pellets. This unique process retains the colour of the bedding and improves its overall absorbency. More moisture is absorbed over a longer period of time making Sorbeo the ultimate absorbent horse bedding. Sorbeo easily absorbs all the moisture produced by your horse making mucking out effortless.

See Sorbeo super absorbent horse bedding in action…

Sorbeo is perfect for the muckiest of horses – and the wettest. Horses and ponies which suffer from Cushings disease do really well on Sorbeo as they are generally wetter in their stables. The supportive nature of the bedding is ideal for laminitics too – one of the symptoms of the condition.

It’s not only moisture that Sorbeo soaks up – odours are simply absorbed too massively reducing ammonia levels in the stable safeguarding your horse’s health.

Sorbeo is completely natural therefore it’s a great alternative to traditional forms of bedding like straw, shavings or cardboard.

It is important for you to know that not all wood pellet bedding’s are the same. There are a lot of imported pellets in the UK that just don’t cut the mustard!. They are often made of compressed sawdust and by-products which are held together by a chalky additive. These will disintegrate resulting in a chalky, dusty-like bed which is really no good for horses or ponies.

Sorbeo says:

‘What the wood pellet is made from is really important. Some woods are a lot harder than others resulting in a far less absorbent horse bedding – and if the wood is cooked at too high a temperature the pellets become very dusty as they break down. Sorbeo uses sustainable spruce pine from Scottish forests – which is the best for absorbent horse bedding… spruce pine also has naturally antiseptic qualities which is ideal for horses with foot problems.’

Made in Scotland and delivered direct to your stable door. Order today!