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The Importance of Peat-Free Gardening

We’ve taken yet another leap towards a more planet-friendly future, and this time it’s one for the gardeners!

At Milk & More, providing you with eco-conscious shopping options is one of our top priorities, whether it’s for the fridge or the garden.

Have you discovered our gardening range yet? We’ve got quality compost, top soil, bark and bird food all ready to deliver to your doorstep to save you a trip lugging heavy bags home from the garden centre. What's more, in line with our sustainability policy, we’re happy and proud to announce that our whole range is now 100% peat-free.

 

What is peat?

Peat is an organic, soil-like substance produced by the decay of plants in naturally wet environments such as bogs and mires. Once formed, peat contributes to a unique kind of habitat (‘peatland’) that allows hundreds of precious ecosystems to thrive.

For decades, peat has remained extremely popular as a cheap and effective composting material for everyday and landscape gardening, but mining it makes a harmful impact on its natural environment, leading keen gardeners to seek out more eco-friendly alternatives.

 

Why should we avoid it?

The main concern with peat is that it stores a staggering amount of soil carbon - more than one third of the Earth's total, enormously exceeding that of any other vegetation type. When the peat is left alone in its natural wet environment, the carbon remains locked away; but mining it for gardening products releases its vast stores of greenhouse gases out into the atmosphere. On top of this, mining also destroys the rare habitats the peatlands provide for butterflies, beetles, flora and more.

 

What's the alternative?

If you’re determined to do your bit for the wider environment as well as your garden, you can rest assured that our range of compost and other gardening goods are completely peat-free and sourced in an environmentally-responsible fashion by trusted suppliers. Check out our full range here and have fun gardening with a conscience as green as your fingers!