September 27th 2022
Announced via UK government press release late last month (27th August), all sales of peat to amateur gardeners in England will be banned by 2024.
The press release states that 'peatlands are the UK's largest carbon store but only approximately 13% of our peatlands are in a near-natural state'.
It goes on to state that 'bagged retail growing media accounts for 70% of the peat sold in the UK and is frequently misused.'
The measures announced are part of the UK government's ambitious target of restoring 35,000 hectares of peatlands by 2025, and part of the ongoing effort to achieve net zero.
The government is also launching a new £5 million fund to promote the use of peatlands for sustainable farming. The practice of farming on rewetted peatland is known as paludiculture which this fund aims to support.
Chair of Natural England, Tony Juniper, said:
"Peatlands are precious ecosystems that harbor beautiful and fascinating wildlife, shape the character of iconic landscapes, purify water and help to reduce flood risk. They are also our largest natural carbon stores, locking away over 580 million tonnes. This ban on the sale of peat-based compost and work to phase out use in other areas is an essential step toward protecting these valuable natural assets and allowing for the recovery of degraded areas."
"We are working with Defra and partners on the ground to restore thousands of hectares of peatland habitats, and today have awarded over £11 million to restore lowland sites in the south-west of England, and upland sites in the north of England. These projects will have multiple benefits, holding carbon, helping some of our scarcest wildlife to recover, reduce flood risk and render landscapes more resilient to climate change impacts such as drought and fire."
To read the full press release, please visit:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sale-of-horticultural-peat-to-be-banned-in-move-to-protect-englands-precious-peatlands