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GRG Newsletter – 2nd Edition

Welcome to the Glyphosate Renewal Group (GRG) Newsletter

With the GRG newsletters, we will regularly share relevant information and updates, keeping you informed on the regulatory processes in Great Britain (GB), milestones on the glyphosate re-authorisation, and providing information regarding the GRG efforts.

The GRG is committed to transparency and to fostering an open and constructive dialogue relating to authorisation renewal of the active substance glyphosate in GB.

In this second edition of the GB newsletter, we focus on glyphosate’s role in the amenities sector. We outline how glyphosate is used across public and infrastructure settings, explain its importance for local authorities and land managers, and set out key considerations around alternative approaches to weed control. We invite you to visit our website for further information, and to contact us should you have any questions.

In this May 2026 issue

  •  Glyphosate in the amenities sector
  •  How glyphosate is used in the amenities sector
  •  The role of glyphosate for local authorities
  •  Alternatives and practical considerations

Glyphosate in the amenities sector

Beyond agricultural uses, glyphosate has played an important role in the management of public spaces and infrastructure across the UK. The amenities sector includes a wide range of environments such as streets, pavements, parks, railways, utilities infrastructure, and industrial areas. In these settings, effective weed control is essential to maintain safety, accessibility, and the integrity of public assets.

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide that is used to manage unwanted vegetation in these areas. Its effectiveness allows for targeted weed control across a wide range of species, including those that are invasive or difficult to manage through other methods. This makes it a practical tool for maintaining large and often complex networks of public and operational spaces.

The world’s leading regulators maintain that glyphosate is a safe, effective, and essential tool for managing weeds in public spaces when used according to approved guidelines.

How glyphosate is used in the amenities sector

In the amenities sector, glyphosate is applied by trained professionals to control vegetation that can interfere with infrastructure and public use. Weeds growing in pavements, roads, and along transport networks can cause structural damage, reduce visibility, and create hazards for pedestrians and vehicles. Effective weed management is therefore an important part of maintaining safe and functional public environments.

Glyphosate is typically used in a targeted manner, allowing operators to manage vegetation efficiently without the need for repeated interventions. Its broad-spectrum action means that a single application can control a wide range of weeds, ensuring consistent outcomes across different environments.

The role of glyphosate in local authorities

Local authorities are responsible for maintaining public spaces while operating within constrained budgets and increasing operational pressures. In this context, glyphosate remains an important tool for ensuring that public areas are well maintained, safe, and accessible.

Compared to many alternative methods, glyphosate provides an efficient and cost-effective solution for weed management at scale. With local authorities facing increasingly strained budgets, glyphosate’s use helps reduce the need for more frequent or labour-intensive interventions. This supports local authorities to deliver services in a safe and resource-efficient manner. As the public continues to expect neat and safe public spaces, local authority access to effective tools remains critically important.

Alternatives and practical considerations

A range of alternative weed control methods exist, including mechanical removal, thermal treatments, and other non-chemical approaches. While these methods can play a role in integrated weed management strategies, they often present practical challenges when used at scale.

Alternative approaches can require increased labour, higher costs, and more frequent applications to achieve comparable levels of control. In some cases, they may also be less effective across a broad spectrum of weed species or may not be suitable for all environments, particularly where access is limited or infrastructure is sensitive.

A 2021 independent trial commissioned by Cardiff Council  found that across 18 environmental impact categories, glyphosate (when applied using WEEDit technology) had lower impacts than the tested alternatives (hot foam and acetic acid) in the majority of categories, while hot foam had the highest impact in nearly all categories. Some of the facts confirmed in the Cardiff trials include:

  • Glyphosate can significantly reduce the amount of water required in weed management, using 13 litres of water per km.
  • Glyphosate is an efficient way of eliminating weeds, taking 0.16 hours/km.

As a result, many organisations take a balanced approach, using glyphosate alongside other methods as part of a broader vegetation management strategy. This allows for flexibility in responding to different operational needs while maintaining effective weed control.

Case Study: Brighton & Hove City Council

The example of Brighton & Hove City Council provides a clear case study of the challenges of managing urban vegetation without glyphosate. After introducing a city-wide ban in 2019, the council trialled alternatives including mechanical weeding, hot foam, and increased manual removal. These methods proved more resource intensive and less effective at scale. Over time, vegetation began to encroach on pavements and kerbs, with parts of the city described by councillors as having gone “completely wild”, prompting growing public concern around accessibility and standards.

In 2024, the council reversed its position and reintroduced the targeted use of glyphosate as part of an integrated approach. Targeted application offered reliable broad-spectrum control, helping restore consistency across the network while reducing the need for repeated interventions. The case underlines a key point for the amenities sector. Delivering consistent outcomes at scale without glyphosate remains a significant challenge, particularly where resources and capacity are constrained.