Saying goodbye to peat

Wonderful news! A ban on the sales of peat compost has been announced. Jenny Bennion finds out more about what this means for our peatlands and what the next steps will be.

Back in spring 2022 we called out to our wonderful members and supporters to respond to a government consultation on banning the sale of peat in England – and what a response we had. An overwhelming 95 per cent of respondents were in favour of the ban, and the announcement duly followed that the retail sales of peat containing products were to be banned by 2024.

This is amazing news and a really important first step in stopping the unjustifiable practice of destroying precious peatlands just to fill cheap bags of garden compost.

Healthy peatlands are one our superhero habitats. Globally there are our biggest terrestrial carbon store, holding twice as much carbon as the world’s forests.

They provide habitats for some amazing wildlife. They act like giant sponges soaking up excess rainfall and helping to naturally mitigate flooding, whilst also filtering our drinking water. They decrease wildfire risk, and they provide us with glorious green open spaces to enjoy and support our health and wellbeing. But as soon as they are damaged in any way all of this stops.

Whilst the horticultural industry has made some steps towards reducing the use of peat there is still a long way to go. In 2011, peat accounted for 62 per cent of all growing media used in UK horticulture (both retail and professional) or exported, declining to 36 per cent in 2021.

Currently in the UK around two million cubic metres of peat is used in the horticultural industry every year, a large percentage of this going to fill those bags of "stack em high sell em cheap" compost. But as so many of us know it simply doesn’t have to be like this. There are plenty of peat-free alternatives available and making the switch to peat-free growing now is one of the simplest things that you can do to help fight our dual nature and climate crises.

So you can image our jubilation at the news of the ban. A similar ban has also been announced in Wales, and the Scottish government currently has a consultation open. But it is important to remember that this is only the first step. The current ban only relates to the retail sales of peat, bags of compost, the use of peat will still be allowed in commercial horticulture to grow the potted plants that you can buy in the garden centre, and in food production.

A total ban on the use of peat in horticulture has just been announced for 2030 – but that’s still a lot of peatlands that will be destroyed.

However, as individuals there are steps that you can take now to help support the transition to a 100 peatfree future. Vote with your feet, or your online shopping basket, and stop buying plants (and that includes houseplants) that are grown in peat.

There is a growing number of specialist peat-free nurseries, and these will only increase as they get more custom. Also, lots of our biggest retailers are already stocking peatfree plants, just make sure that you check the label or ask staff.

The future of our peatlands is certainly looking up, and hopefully by the end of the decade we will all have peat-free gardens – but why not make that step now?

TOP TIPS for peat-free plants

 Buy direct from specialist peat-free growers - a quick Google of ‘peat-free plants’ will bring you lots of options.

 Grow from seed, bulbs, or buy bare root plants.

 Check the labels or ask the question – lots of garden centres will hold a selection of plants that are 100 per cent peat-free, you just have to find out which ones. The more that people ask, the more growers will realise that there is a real demand for peat-free plants.