
At Salix we do not use peat in any of our processes.
Our plants are grown in a high quality, sustainable, accredited compost. We do not believe that there is any sustainable source of peat. We believe all upland bogs, the source of peat, are precious habitats which should be conserved and increased wherever there is an opportunity to do so. Peat bogs are not only rich in wildlife, they also provide a number of critical ecosystem services, such as water and carbon storage, which are essential to our society.
Peatlands cover 3% of the world’s land surface and yet they hold 30% of the soil carbon, keeping it stored away from the atmosphere. The UK has 13% of the world’s blanket bog. It takes thousands of years for a bog to form, but they are vulnerable to changes in water and management.
Healthy bogs are critical to our society; did you know that 70% of our drinking water comes from upland bogs. Deep peats protect us from flooding by slowing the flow of water from high up in the uplands down through the river catchment to villages, towns and cities.
Facts and figures and more useful information from the IUCN Peatland Committee