Peat is still being used as a growing medium in many products on the shelves, which consumers may not know about
While the campaign to ban peat in horticultural products is underway, many gardeners may not realise they are inadvertently buying peat-based products.
Consumers are increasingly aware that buying buying peat products such as peat-based compost is threatening the important biodiverse peatlands, which are also crucial to slowing climate change, in the UK. But there is still a huge risk of picking peat-based products without realising it.
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The newly launched Hidden Peat campaign aims to inform the consumer about the peat often used as a growing medium for houseplants, mushrooms and leafy salads.
The Wildlife Trusts is urging people to look carefully at all horticultural products they buy, and to look for ‘hidden peat’ when they are out shopping. The Wildlife Trusts is calling for clear labelling and transparency from retailers on trying to remove peat from their supply chain.
Last year Defra confirmed that some peat-containing products will be banned from shelves from 2026, but others will be exempt from the ban until 2030. A total ban on peat composts was promised by the government this year but there is currently no legislation in place to get the plan in place.
Major retailers including the Co-op and B&Q have already phased out sales of bagged peat compost in anticipation of a ban.
Sara Booth-Card peatlands campaigner for The Wildlife Trusts said: “Peatlands are the UK’s largest terrestrial carbon-store. They provide vital habitat for wildlife such as the UK’s very own carnivorous sundew plant, and sponge-like sphagnum mosses which can hold up to twenty times their own weight in water.
“Healthy peatlands not only deliver huge benefits for nature and for climate; they also provide important ecosystem services to our society. We’re convinced that consumers who care about wildlife won’t want to support a market where peat is used in other products, even inadvertently.”
Research by The Wildlife Trusts revealed that peat extraction for use in horticulture has caused up to 31 million tonnes of CO2 to be released since 1990.
Here’s why we need to protect our peatlands