Fringe Box

Socialize

Twitter

Letter: We Need a Ban on Peat-based Compost

Published on: 24 Jun, 2021
Updated on: 24 Jun, 2021

From: Sam Peters

Green Party member

In response to: Big Supermarkets Fail Guildford’s Peat-Free Compost Test

The continued use of peat-based compost is a much-overlooked issue of vital importance, not just for the climate (peat bogs sequester one-third of the world’s soil carbon, and can store eight times as much as an equivalent area of tropical rainforest), but also in reducing flood risk, improving water quality and providing habitats for rare species like hen harriers.

In the UK alone, a peat ban would be the climate equivalent of taking 350,000 cars off the road.

The voluntary ban has been a complete failure for the past 11 years. Rather than wait another three years and hope this doesn’t turn into another can to be kicked down the road in 2024, it’s good to be able to put pressure on stores now and better still to see that some are taking action themselves.

Share This Post

Leave a Comment

Please see our comments policy. All comments are moderated and may take time to appear.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *