A More Sustainable Way To Grow
– Why Now Is The Time For Businesses To Go Peat-Free
Peat compost has long been the go-to growing medium for horticulturists. But as the harmful environmental impact of peat becomes a growing topic of discussion, with many businesses looking for alternatives, the need for innovation is more important than ever before.
Digging Into The Environmental Impact
Peat compost has always been an affordable and consistent growing medium, known for its ability to retain moisture and air space while limiting pests and diseases. But while the benefits are well understood, increasingly, so are the downfalls.
The UK Government has committed to banning the sale of peat-containing products by 2030, because as well as offering a unique habitat for many native plants and animals, UK peatlands are important absorbers of CO2, storing approximately three billion tonnes of carbon. When peatlands are cultivated for soil and compost, all of the carbon that was captured is released back into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
An Important Part Of Every Net Zero Strategy
As businesses continue to focus on decarbonisation, finding alternative growing mediums to peat can go a long way in reducing their carbon footprint. Facilities Managers (FMs) will be well aware of the increasing popularity of living walls, along with the physical and mental health benefits of introducing more greenery to office spaces. However, what they may not know is the environmental impacts of this push, particularly as many landscaping installation still use peat-based soil and compost.
Beyond decarbonisation, peat bogs are also home to many wildlife species, making their destruction harmful to our biodiversity. Peatlands are sometimes referred to as the ‘rainforests of Britain’ for the amount of unique flora and fauna they hold, including rare plants and insects. While net zero targets are likely the primary focus for companies, preserving ecosystems has a more subtle, but just as positive, impact for business, especially in terms of reputation and ESG. It’s crucial that organisations play their part to not only maintain the inside of Britain’s buildings, but the external environment too.
From Peat To Volcanic Rocks
As part of its commitment to deliver decarbonisation for its own operations and customers, Mitie Landscapes has recently completed a successful trial of an innovative alternative to peat-based soils and composts. For the trial we used Vulkaponic, a pure mineral culture substrate made from pumice and high-quality zeolites – essentially, these are volcanic rocks that can hold water and nutrients extremely well.
Over the six-month trial period, we found that by using this alternative, plants had the same health and vigour as those that were grown in peat. There were also no pest issues – especially important for indoor plants in office locations and often a downfall of peat-free alternatives. The trial clearly showed that this alternative to peat gave the desired environmental benefits, without making any compromise on the health of our plants. In fact, the trial was so successful that we’ve now committed to removing all peat-free soils and composts from the Mitie Landscapes business by 2025.
More and more businesses are realising the benefits that greenery in workspaces have on the mental and physical health of those working there. While it’s fantastic to see more plant life in our urban environments, as we’ve seen with the environmental consequences of peat, it’s all too easy to miss the bigger impacts that may counteract this positive work. However, as our own trial shows, with just a little digging, there are innovative solutions out there that will give facilities managers the best of both worlds.
