A petition calling for legislation to end peat sales to be introduced in 2026 was handed in to 10 Downing Street yesterday by the Peat-free Partnership, accompanied by industry and eNGO partners alongside a curious Bog Creature. The petition was signed by over 16,000 supporters from across the UK.

Public opinion delivered to Prime Minister’s doorstep

Knocking on the Prime Minister’s door, petitioners comprised of the Peat-free Partnership, Plantlife, The Wildlife Trusts, the Royal Horticultural Society, organic veg box supplier Riverford, and Professor Dave Goulson of Sussex University. Further supporters gathered with the Bog Creature by the gates, including organic horticulture organisation and peat-free partner Garden Organic.

The Bog Creature stunned Londoners in Whitehall as it journeyed to Downing Street to discover why legislation to end peat sales has been continually delayed. Surprised to find its peatland habitat extracted for garden compost before touring London and quizzing some new friends on their peaty knowledge. Joining the petitioners on their way to Downing Street, it turned heads once again on Westminster Bridge.

The Bog Creature stands alone as pedestrians walk by. Photo: Jordan Peck/PA Media Assignments

The petition represents one of the biggest public calls for legislation to end peat sales to date, with the public demanding an end to Government delays that have allowed peat sales to continue in spite of decades of campaigning. Following the Government announcing in October 2025 that they intend to introduce legislation, we’re asking them to put a date on it and introduce legislation this year.

Nicola Hutchinson, interim CEO for Plantlife, said ““Peatlands are home to some of the world’s most distinctive plant communities and are one of our strongest natural allies in tackling climate change. Despite overwhelming public support, the Government has still not set out a clear timetable to end peat sales. We need legislation in 2026 to provide the clarity the horticulture industry so desperately needs to help it flourish, and allow both growers and gardeners to transition into a peat-free future.”

Peat-free compost is just the start

The horticulture industry has invested huge resources in the peat-free transition, but delays have perpetuated, damaging business uncertainty. RHS Director General Clare Matterson, in attendance at Downing Street said: “Gardeners want to know that when they purchase a plant they are having only a positive impact on the planet. Equipped with the ways and means to grow peat free we now need Government to set out legislation that will help industry make the final transition and ensure our gardens are truly the greenest they can be.”

Petitioners wait with the Bog Creature to enter Downing Street. From left to right: Nicola Hutchinson (Plantlife), Matt Browne (The Wildlife Trusts), Professor Dave Goulson, Sally Nex (Peat-free Partnership), Clare Matterson (RHS), Guy Singh-Watson (Riverford). Photo: Jordan Peck/PA Media Assignments

Founder of organic veg box company Riverford, Guy Singh-Watson, said “Peat is wonderful at what it does, but it is very problematic. It’s a bit like coal. It’s been buried in the ground for thousands of years, locking up carbon, and we are mining it to grow food. That contributes to climate change and we cannot deny it. We need to push this legislation through and just ban peat.” Riverford has spent the past two years developing and trialling a peat-free seedling block for field-scale growing of lettuce, which is very difficult to plant without peat. It now has a recipe ready to be funded and developed.

Also supporting the campaign, Gareth Morgan, Head of Farming and Land Use Policy at the Soil Association, highlighted how the issue cuts across multiple issues, saying: “Peatlands are irreplaceable carbon stores, and protecting them is essential to restoring nature, safeguarding soils and meeting our climate commitments. Ending peat sales without further delay and promoting viable alternatives is essential if we are serious about tackling the combined climate and nature crises. The horticulture sector is ready for change, and decisive government action to ensure the transition is accelerated is now needed to provide certainty for businesses while protecting these vital habitats.”

Sally Nex (right) delivers a petition to Downing Street in London. Photo: Jordan Peck/PA Media Assignments

Enormous thanks are in order for the thousands of gardeners, environmentalists, horticulture professionals, and peat-free supporters who signed and shared the petition to end peat sales. The pressure is mounting on Government to introduce legislation – and this is the year we intend to see them do so.

Whether you signed the petition or not, there’s one more brilliant action you can take: email your MP today and ask them to write to DEFRA on this issue.