Major garden centre chains were at the bottom of a recently compiled league table showing how retailers have responded to calls to conserve peat.
Our natural peat bogs have taken thousands of years to form. The British Isles is one of the world's bastions of this unique habitat which is home to thousands of exquisite animals and plants. However, over the last half a century or so, our peatlands have been plundered for the garden industry on a commercial scale that is simply not sustainable.
In a recent survey carried out for the Deputy Major of London, Jenny Jones, the retailers who were doing most to implement voluntary measures to lower peat consumption by their customers (e.g. by stocking peat-free alternatives), were consistently the big DIY chains. Amazingly, at the bottom of the table (and failing to score at all) was Wyvale; the country's largest garden centre chain. Another large garden centre chain invited to participate in the survey - Notcutts - didn't even respond.
- B&Q (1st)
- Focus-Wickes (joint 2nd)
- Homebase (joint 2nd)
- Marks & Spencer (4th)
- Tesco (5th)
- Sainsbury's (6th)
- Asda (joint 7th)
- Safeway (joint 7th)
- Wyevale (9th)
Friends of the Earth say the results demonstrate how voluntary measures to address the problem of peat conservation are not working and that legislation should be considered.
