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Did you know peatlands are being destroyed to grow lots of the food in our homes? We want to change this!
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We’re calling for peat to be removed from our plates by asking supermarkets what they’re doing to help us get peat out of our homes, as part of the Peat-free Partnership
We are proud to host the Peat-free Partnership – bringing together environmental charities and horticultural organisations to work together for the goal of ending peat sales.
Right now, our precious peatlands – which are home to some of the UK’s most distinctive plant communities – are being destroyed.
A huge amount of peat is being dug up and sold commercially to help grow plants and many of the vegetables that end up in your supermarket trolley. [1]
From mushrooms, celery, lettuce and blueberries – if you buy fruit and veg every week, it’s very hard to have a peat-free home.
And the use of peat for food production and gardening has drastic knock-on effects for the species that call peatlands home as well as carbon stores, flood risks and water quality.
It’s never been more vital to protect our peatlands – here’s how you can help.
Tell supermarkets to make a change
Did you know that 760,000m3 of peat is used every year to grow plants and food? [2]
Many of the everyday vegetables you get from the supermarket, from potatoes to salad leaves and mushrooms, have used peat in the growing process.
Peat forms at just 1mm a year which means it takes 1,000 years to grow just 1m of peat. [3]
As well as being home to some of our most amazing plants, peatlands can help reduce flood risks, help wildlife deal with droughts and lock up 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon in the UK alone. [4]
Back in 2022, the government promised to ban peat sales in horticulture, but 4 years later there’s still no legislation in place. [5]
With no laws to prevent the sale of peat, growers are continuing to use it (though many have already made steps to reduce or completely stop their peat use). This makes it harder for supermarkets to transition away from peat-grown vegetables. And in turn, this means your plates are packed with peat.
We need everyone to help in the fight to put an end to peat sales!
I’m ready to make a difference
We need supermarkets to play their part in saving peatlands for people and the planet.
Retailers can get peat out of our homes by:
Let’s get peat out of our homes
The Peat-free Partnership is a coalition of horticultural businesses and eNGOs calling for commercial peat trade across the UK.
The Peat-free Partnership is funded by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and hosted by the wild plant conservation charity Plantlife.
A huge amount of peat is being dug up and sold commercially to help grow plants and many of the vegetables that end up in your supermarket trolley.
760,000m3 of peat is used every year to grow plants and food.
Peat forms at just 1mm a year which means it takes 1,000 years to grow just 1m of peat.
Peatlands lock up 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon in the UK alone.
In 2022, the UK government announced it would ban the sale of horticultural peat.
Growers, NGOs, environmentalists and the public stand together urging the government to act to stop the destruction of peatlands
The peat-rich Flow Country, which our Munsary Peatlands are part of, has been given the same standing as the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon.
Extraction of peat for gardening and horticulture continues to damage wildlife and our climate, despite government commitments to phase it out. Plantlife is calling on governments and industry to end the use of peat in gardening and horticulture to benefit nature and our climate.
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