Squire’s Garden Centres has confirmed that it no longer sells any bagged compost containing peat. 

The UK government proposed to ban the sale of bagged compost containing peat to home gardeners in England by the end of 2024.  Although the ban is not yet in force, this announcement by Squire’s sees the business meet this commitment well ahead of the proposed deadline.

The company has been working with its suppliers for some time to eliminate bags of compost containing any peat content from its business. In addition, Squire’s continues to support customers in their understanding of peat-free compost and how to get the best results from peat-free growing media. Squire’s recently hosted a series of peat-free talks in collaboration with Melcourt, providing a practical insight into how to use peat-free compost in everyday gardening.  

Sarah Squire, Chairman of Squire’s Garden Centres, comments: “We understand the significance of our peatlands for carbon capture and the habitats they foster. We are tremendously pleased to have  reached this milestone, as it’s an area we’ve been working hard on with our supplier partners for some time. 

“As an industry-wide issue, it is important that we work closely with our suppliers on the challenges involved - sharing knowledge and best practice. We know our customers have varying levels of understanding and we will continue to be a source of practical information, so they are informed and can succeed with peat-free compost. The removal of bagged compost with any peat content is an important step in our ongoing sustainability programme."