Tracking peat usage in growing media production (CP 100 and CP 203)

This project tracks production of growing media and the changing proportion of peat used in different types of growing media for use in, or export from, the UK.

The project surveyed key growing media producers on the component ingredients (by volume) of the different types of growing media produced for amateur and professional use between 2011 and 2015 as CP 100 and recommenced as CP 203 in 2018.

Specifically it has and will continue to collect data on the volume of peat used in these different types of products and its source. Over the duration of the project the changing composition of different types of growing media will be tracked, providing the industry with evidence on the extent of progress towards reducing the volume of peat used in growing media production.

The project will provide objective information to industry on changes in peat use over time. It will enable the industry to inform and engage with DEFRA's Sustainable Growing Media Task Force (SGMTF) on progress towards targets of eliminating all peat use in retail horticulture by 2020 and professional horticulture by 2030.

Initially funded by AHDB to provide information is critical to sustaining dialogue with DEFRA on progress towards the current voluntary targets as CP 100, the project is now co-funded by AHDB and Defra with in kind contributions for HTA and continues to feed into Defra's targets of phasing out peat use in growing media across the UK industry.