Tesco announces peat-free pledge for bedding plants

Tesco is reported to have become the first UK retailer to cut out peat on its British-grown bedding plants. The move is aimed at reducing the retailer’s carbon footprint, and involves teaming up with ornamental plant supplier Bridge Farm Horticulture in Spalding. It is hoped that the initiative will also help preserve the UK’s and Ireland’s peatlands, which provide a range of environmental benefits as well as being home to many rare plants, insects and birds.

Tesco is one of the UK’s largest sellers of bedding plants, with about 40 million plants sold each year. Through the change, Tesco noted that it has reduced its peat use by nearly 9,000 cubic metres a year. This has reduced the carbon footprint of these products by more than 1,200 tons of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent emissions) a year – a reduction of 75%.

Tesco horticulture category buying manager Alex Edwards said: “Going peat free on our British-grown bedding plants is right for our customers – we’ve listened to their feedback and have worked hard to prove we can deliver the same great quality, but now being better for our planet. Looking ahead, we hope this approach can be adopted on a wider-scale – it’s our aim to deliver this across a broader range of plants and flowers.”

Instead of peat, all bedding plants grown for Tesco by Bridge Farm Horticulture will use alternatives such as wood fibre and natural by-products. The supermarket said its full range of products from the supplier have all been successfully trialled in peat-free compost, with no impact on quality or product life.