Peat is a popular component of composts. However, it is extracted from moorland areas that provide an important habitat for endangered species and also accumulate huge amounts of carbon. For this reason, we have not used peat in our own-label composts since 2013.
Moorland landscapes have been protected in Switzerland since the 1980s. Besides being an important refuge for flora and fauna, they also accumulate large quantities of CO2. Moorland is also of cultural and historical significance. It has been preserving pollen, seeds, plants and commodities for millennia. As such, it is a source of information on the development of the climate, vegetation and people of a region. Therefore, the extraction of peat and the construction of buildings on moorland is no longer permitted here in Switzerland. Despite this, around 150,000 tonnes of peat enter Switzerland each year.
For the reasons cited, we have not used peat in our own-label composts since 2013. Our Oecoplan range also includes peat-free compost that has been awarded the Bio Suisse bud. We have also persuaded the brand manufacturers who supply us to reduce the percentage of peat. The percentage of peat in our overall range of soils currently still stands at 2.7% (as of 2017). This means that peat is now only used in a handful of special products for which there is no alternative. By 2019 we aim to do without peat entirely – and we made a commitment to this effect to the WWF.