Wildlife trusts across the country are calling for an immediate ban on the sale and extraction of peat for horticulture, and a ban on importing peat from abroad.
Northumberland Wildlife Trust is one of the 46 across the UK calling for the ban, with estimates showing that as much as 31 million tonnes of Carbon Dioxide could have been released into the atmosphere since 1990 as a direct result of peat in gardening, and its use by professional growers of fruit, vegetables and plants.
The UK and Welsh Governments opened a public consultation in December on ending the use of peat in the retail sector in England and Wales by 2024.
