Why use peat-free compost?

We all want to do our bit to help the environment and many gardeners pride themselves on their close relationship with Mother Nature but research has shown that the environment can potentially be damaged if gardeners continue to use certain types of compost.

Peat-free compost containing recycled materials is a greener, kinder compost - and here’s why!

• It is made from recycled materials – which is good news for the environment because it cuts down the amount of organic waste that is sent to landfill.
• Peat-free compost containing recycled materials is made from garden waste which would have previously been sent to landfill sites but is now being recycled on a large scale commercially for use in peat-free products.
• It also gets blooming good results for your garden.
• And it won’t cost you the earth – buying peat-free does not always mean a more expensive option.

• Today, lowland peat bogs and their wildlife are threatened through peat extraction for garden composts and other uses. Peatland wildlife such as dragonflies, butterflies and birds depend on peat for its survival and gardeners can choose alternatives.
• Across the globe, Peat covers about 3 per cent of global land surface, yet the amount of carbon stored within it is enormous - equivalent to twice that of all the world’s forests combined.¹
• Peat develops very slowly, no more than 1mm in depth per year. A 10 metre deep peat reserve will have taken 10,000 years to develop. So when peat is mined for garden compost it will take 1,000 years to replace every metre that is taken away.²

¹ The National Trust
² The National Trust