A call for the phase-out of peat in compost material has been announced by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn as part of the latest ACT ON CO2 campaign.

The phase out would mean that gardening centres and DIY stores would cease to sell peat-based composts for the amateur gardening market within ten years  and switch to peat-free alternatives instead.

The ACT ON CO2 campaign, targets amateur gardeners who use the majority of the peat (around 70%) that is used in horticulture. The campaign focuses on raising awareness of the environmental impacts associated with peat and promoting a switch to peat-free alternatives in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and protect the valuable biodiversity and wildlife of lowland raised bogs (from which peat is extracted for horticulture use).

Peat extraction for use in garden compost causes significant damage to the environment by harming valuable natural habitats and by releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere that contributes to climate change. Around half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide is emitted each year as a result of peat extraction from UK sites for horticultural use, and this doesn’t take account of the fact that we import over 50% of our peat from overseas.

Amateur gardeners are by far the biggest users of peat, using over 2 million cubic metres each year. Using peat-free products in the home and garden is one of the simplest, yet most effective ways that people can make a positive environmental impact and reduce their carbon footprint. 

For more information on Defra’s ACT ON CO2 Peat-Free campaign and to find out more about the benefits of using peat-free compost when planting see link - www.direct.gov.uk/buyingcompost

In Carmarthenshire we have lowland raised bogs and blanket bog habitats.  These habitats have formed over thousands of years. The acidic peat which develops may attain a thickness of 10 or more metres and support and a range of specialised plants. In addition a range of birds and a number of uncommon invertebrate species are associated with these habitats. Once destroyed, this peat record can never be recreated.

Lowland raised bogs form on waterlogged ground in lowland areas such as the head of estuaries, on river floodplains and in depressions in the landscape. Carmarthenshire is a significant area for lowland raised bog, containing three relatively intact sites. Cors Goch, Llanllwch to the west of Carmarthen is a particularly good example and an important site. This bog has various rarities such as the bog rosemary and insectivorous sundews. It is one of the few Welsh sites for the small red damselfly and the bog bush-cricket, and one of the few UK localities for the black bog ant.

There is also a degraded example at Gorslas, a damaged one (by peat digging) north of Hendy and two south-west of Carmarthen – the small Beacon Bog near Llangynog.

Blanket bog is a globally rare habitat where peat accumulates through the slow decomposition of plant material under waterlogged conditions. Studies indicate that most blanket peat in the UK began to develop between 5000 and 6000 years ago.

Much of the blanket bog in Carmarthenshire is modified and no longer peat forming. Survey data shows areas of intact blanket bog but much more wet and dry modified bog habitat. Much of this vegetation is concentrated in the upland areas of north Carmarthenshire.

The carbon trapped in the peat makes this, along with other peat habitats, vital in the challenge to address climate change. Why not help conserve these important habitats by making a pledge to go peat free!