The Wildlife Trusts and celebrity supporters are urging the UK Government to seize a final chance to ban sales of peat products ahead of the general election as promised. The opportunity to pass legislation comes via the new Horticultural Peat Private Members Bill to be debated in the House of Commons today, Tuesday 16th April, proposed by former Environment secretary Theresa Villiers.

The campaign to stop peat extraction took off in the 1990s and legislation to ban peat sales has been pondered by the UK Government for over a decade; two years ago it promised a ban by the end of this Parliament in 2024. However, sales of peat compost and peat-containing products remains legal in the UK, contributing to the destruction of peatland habitats here and across Europe.

95% of people that responded to the UK Government’s consultation – of which 88% were amateur gardeners – were in favour of a complete retail sales ban.