Peat-free products

Image: Pansies in Sylvamix Potting
© Melcourt Industries Ltd

Peat-free products

Cheap, usually imported, bags of peat do not reflect the environmental costs to society caused by peat mining and are undercutting the production and supply of peat-free materials. Advances in the development of peat-free horticultural products, means that the UK could establish its own long-term viable industry providing sustainable soil conditioners and growing materials for amateur and professional gardeners.

The benefits of peat-free products far outweight the cost of peat extraction.


Many peat-free composts work as effectively or even better than peat. Much of the material used for peat replacement contributes to recycling, such as green compost, or uses by-products including wood brash and other forestry waste. Commercially grown and harvested Sphagnum moss is also proving popular with the professional horticulture industry.


At an International Peat Society Summit in Rotterdam in 2018 there was recognition that International policy is moving increasingly towards more sustainable products, through ecolabelling and demands on producers to bear the environmental costs of their activities.  Supporting a speedy switch to peat-free products would help meet the environmentally responsible demands of society. It would also enable the UK to take a lead in supplying these sustainable materials rather than becoming dependent on imports.


A roundtable event held in Edinburgh including retailers and horticulture producers highlighted that there are already a number of manufacturers of peat-free soil conditioners and growing media in the UK. Given the right market signals and investment in this new industry by Government and with retailers support it will be possible to facilitate a shift away from peat and provide new opportunities for expanding employment.  

 

To coincide with the UNFCCC COP26 Peatland Pavilion in November 2021 'Peat-free Horticulture – Demonstrating Success' is now the third publication in our Demonstrating Success series, showcasing examples of organisations who have demonstrated the high-quality results that can be achieved without the use of peat in horticulture. You can read the publication here


Ending the horticultural use of peat is important to help protect rare wildlife habitat and reduce carbon emissions but is also essential to placing the UK’s gardening retail and horticulture industry on a secure long-term basis.  Supporting the businesses that are developing the peat-free products is not just the responsibility of Government Environment Departments but also Trade and Industry and Climate Change.

 

Melcourt: Moving towards a future of peat-free products

Scottish Wildlife Trust: 50 of the future

Plantlife: The pain of a peat-free UK

     

Plantlife, along with the RSPB, Wildlife Trusts and Friends of the Earth, is calling on government and industry to replace peat use in gardening and horticulture - see Plantlife peat campaign

 

Exterior view of Virtual Peatland Pavilion showing four large domes in a desert landscape
Seeking content for the COP29 Virtual Peatland PavilionThe IUCN UK Peatland Programme and Global Peatlands Initiative are seeking new content for an…
Peatland at Inshriach, Allt a’ Mharcaidh
Largest ever gathering of UK peatland experts to celebrate ‘Peatlands, People and Nature’ in the Cairngorms National ParkAviemore in the Cairngorms National Park is to play host to the UK’s largest gathering of peatland…
Landscape of mountains and forest
View the full programme for #PeatConf24 and book your tickets now!The full programme for the IUCN UK Peatland Programme 2024 conference ‘Peatlands, People and Nature…
CivTech in white writing with blue background and outlines of scales, lightbulb and book
CivTech challenge invites ideas for Peatland Code and Woodland Carbon CodeProposals are being invited for the Scottish Government's CivTech Challenge 10.6 to use technology…
Talla Gameshope image
Changes to UK Land Carbon Registry feesFrom 1 November 2024, the fees charged to issue and convert units on the UK Land Carbon Registry…
Peatland with mountains on the background
Scottish peatland recognised as globally important by UNESCO World Heritage Site designation The Flow Country in the north of Scotland, Europe's largest expanse of blanket bog, has been…
Brown butterfly with black spots on pink bell shaped flower
New species showcase - large heathOur latest species showcase introduces the large heath butterfly, its association with two iconic…
Haresfoot cottongrass with blue sky in the background. Credit Laurie Campbell SNH
New briefing addresses the peatlands and methane debateThe IUCN UK Peatland Programme has launched a new briefing “Peatlands and Methane” that summarises…
Peatland with mountains in the background
New £3 million fund for peatland restoration in Northern IrelandApplications for the new £3million Peatland Challenge Fund to help protect Northern Ireland's…
Sphagnum moss on healthy peatland
Scotland’s Peatland ACTION programme hits record restoration milestoneFor the first time since the Peatland ACTION programme began, more than 10,000 hectares of damaged…
A cottongrass seedhead
New species showcase - cottongrassOur May species showcase looks at the role that cottongrass plays in peatlands, its cultural and…