Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust: Consumers urged to consider hidden peat in everyday purchases

Sadly, some people, me included, who choose not to buy peat composts may still be inadvertently buying peat-based products – because of the frequency with which it is used as a growing medium for item such as houseplants and bedding plants, leafy salads, and mushrooms, writes Erin McDaid, of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

Our Hidden Peat campaign seeks to increase the level of understanding amongst consumers about products which may contain peat and the pressure peat use places on UK peatlands, such as those in Somerset, which are still being dug up for use in horticulture.

In 2022, we welcomed the Government’s announcement that the sale of bagged peat compost would be banned in England by 2024. Worryingly, progress towards this important pledge has stalled.

No legislation in place to achieve this ban, and with an election now due before January next year, its looks increasingly unlikely that the Government will be able to deliver the ban before the end of this Parliament.

Due to decades of campaigning by charities including The Wildlife Trusts, many consumers are aware that buying and using peat-free composts in the garden helps protect precious habitats. Large numbers have switched to the ever expanding and improving range of alternative growing mediums and retailers such as B&Q and the Co-op have already phased out sales of bagged peat compost in anticipation of the ban.

In addition to the ban on bagged peat compost, the Government committed to end all uses of peat in England by 2030 – but similarly, this cannot be delivered without new legislation. With the legislative process ground to a halt, we are urging people to look out for ‘hidden peat’ when doing their shopping.

We think this is a vital way people can help keep peat in bogs not bags. Whilst consumers can do their bit, for them to do so, it is vital that they can make informed decisions about the food and plants they buy.

Protecting peatlands is crucial to our fight against climate change as they store massive amounts of carbon. As well as being valuable natural carbon stores, they are incredibly valuable wildlife habits and home to some incredible plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth.

So, in addition to restating our demand that the Government bring in the promised ban on bagged peat composts as soon as possible, we are also asking consumers to back our call for clear labelling. This would enable shoppers to easily identify products which contain or were grown in peat.

We also want to see increased transparency from retailers about their commitment to, and timeframes for, taking peat out of their supply chains.

Extracting peat is bad for our climate and for wildlife yet 80% of the UK’s peatlands are now degraded due to damaging practices, including peat extraction for horticulture, drainage for agriculture and burning. When peatlands are damaged, carbon is released.

Today, emissions from peatlands make up 4% of all UK annual greenhouse gas emissions. The Wildlife Trusts have been advocates for better protection of peatlands against horticultural extraction for over three decades – and the ‘peat free’ campaign was one of the first I became involved with when I joined the Trust in 1993.

Across England The Wildlife Trusts have restored over 50,000 hectares of peatlands and here in Nottinghamshire, we are working with farmers and landowners in the Idle Valley, to restore damaged peatlands as part of a wider project with a neighbouring Wildlife Trust across the Humberhead Levels.

Whilst peatland restoration is vital, it does seem unacceptable to be focussing on and investing in restoration whilst remaining peatland habitats are still being degraded and destroyed through commercial extraction - so we must keep up the pressure to stop the senseless and unnecessary destruction.