Britain's gardeners are facing a "hidden peat" challenge despite decades of campaigning against the environmentally damaging practice. A staggering 80% of UK peatlands, which store twice as much carbon as all the world's forests, remain damaged due to extraction for gardening and commercial growing.
Campaigners warn that while consumers may be opting for peat-free compost, many supermarket produce lines – including field mushrooms, button mushrooms, salads, brassicas, and potted herbs – are still grown in peat. A significant proportion of plants sold in garden centres also use peat-based mediums, making it difficult for consumers to avoid contributing to the demand.
The environmental impact is severe: damaged peatlands release stored carbon rapidly into the atmosphere, undermining their natural flood protection and contributing significantly to climate emissions. In the UK, over 90% of extracted peat goes towards horticulture, with thousands of hectares dug up annually in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Somerset Levels.
Efforts to ban peat sales have been ongoing since a voluntary target was set in 1999 for the industry to be 90% peat-free by 2010. The goal fell short, achieving only 32% by 2011. Subsequent targets also missed the mark, with a Conservative government's promised ban in 2022 delayed due to parliamentary time constraints.
The Labour Party's 2024 manifesto committed to protecting peat bogs and legislating a ban on peat-containing products – a pledge reiterated in its October 2025 carbon budget. A broad cross-party consensus supports the move, with over 95% of respondents backing a ban during a government consultation in 2022.
Despite this, environment ministers across the four UK nations continue to delay legislation. Campaign groups are keeping up the pressure, having submitted a petition with numerous signatories in support of a peat ban – one that could have a significant impact on both the environment and local communities reliant on these precious landscapes for flood protection.
The Peat-Free Partnership remains committed to pushing for change, highlighting the need for immediate action: "The time for debate is over; it's time for action," says Sally Nex. "We urge policymakers to work together to bring this legislation forward and ensure a future where our peatlands can thrive once more."
Campaigners warn that unless drastic measures are taken, these vital ecosystems will continue to suffer irreparable damage – releasing stored carbon, threatening local communities, and exacerbating the climate crisis.