Peat-based garden compost could be phased out

Peat-based garden compost could be phased out

» 8th March 2010 «

Brits redesigning their gardens this year could be among the last to be able to purchase peat-based compost.

Environment secretary Hilary Benn has called for a phase-out of the material in order to help the UK meet its carbon dioxide targets.

If Mr Benn's desires come to pass then gardening centres could be forced to stop selling peat-based products within the next decade.

The proposal is based around the fact that around 70 per cent of the peat utilised in horticulture is used by amateur gardeners.

Mr Benn hopes to educate the country's garden enthusiasts about the environmental implications of using peat-based substances.

The extraction of peat from lowland raised bogs can upset biodiversity and wildlife while also contributing to carbon dioxide emissions.

Around 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide are emitted each year due to peat extraction for UK horticultural use, which does not include the 50 per cent of peat imported for foreign nations.

Meanwhile, gardeners in the capital are now able to access information on growing fruit and veg through the Healthy London Living website.