News: May 2003

Despite high profile campaigns over many years to get gardeners to switch from peat to alternatives, the staggering fact is that gardener's use of peat is increasing so rapidly, that suppliers cannot even keep up with demand.

WWF Northern Ireland says that the retail market for peat has increased by nearly 50% in the last 10 years and two thirds of the demand for peat comes from amateur gardeners. And if it wasn't bad enough that we've already contributed to robbing Northern Ireland of 90% of lowland raised peat bogs, we've now started to import peat from the Republic of Ireland, Estonia and Latvia to satisfy demand.

WWF Northern Ireland point out that Compost made from kitchen and garden waste is better for the garden that peat. We can all make our own compost from these materials and, increasingly, many of use can obtain it from our local councils who are recycling garden waste.

The BBC. 2003. Gardening 'threat' to peat bogs. Viewed on the web at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3044169.stm on May 24th 2003.