100-plus signatories urge PM Keir Starmer to end peat sales

The Peat-free Partnership has sent a ground-breaking open letter to Sir Keir Starmer asking that he bring an end to years of business uncertainty and create a level playing field for all with peat sales legislation.

More than 100 supporters have signed the letter from the Peat-free Partnership – a coalition of horticultural businesses and environmental NGOs across the UK, which includes Garden Organic - with the majority of signatories being businesses involved in horticulture.

The letter gives a voice to the large and growing segment of horticulture, which is fed up with the uncertainty and endless discussions over whether or not legislation is necessary. They think it is, and they believe peat-free is the future.

The only way to get the peat out of horticulture is through legislation. Without it, the uncertainty continues, and there will always be someone, somewhere, willing to sacrifice the UK’s best carbon stores, flood defences and natural water filtration systems.

Signatories to the letter include some of the UK’s biggest retailers such as B&Q and Co-op supermarkets, which sell pallet loads of bagged compost and millions of plants every year, Vitacress – producer of peat-free leafy salads and herbs to supermarkets – and EvergreenGarden, which produces Miracle-Gro.

Dozens of small and medium–sized enterprises, many of which have been peat-free ever since they started growing, or made the switch years ago because they believed it was the right thing to do, have also signed.

Find out more about the letter, and what you can do, here. And discover lots of advice on buying and using peat-free compost via our For Peat’s Sake hub here.