10 signatures reached
To: West Sussex County Council
West Sussex County Council - Bring back peat free Soil Conditioner/Compost
Until 2016, West Sussex County Council sold 'Revive' - Viridor peat free soil conditioner/compost at its Household Waste and Recycling sites in 40 litre bags - three for £10. West Sussex County Council are no longer prepared to subsidise the sale of this product.
This was until 2016 sourced from the Green Bin collection service.
This service has now been discontinued apparently as a 'saving' though it seems an official announcement has not been made.
This was until 2016 sourced from the Green Bin collection service.
This service has now been discontinued apparently as a 'saving' though it seems an official announcement has not been made.
Why is this important?
The previous system was a 'virtuous circle' whereby West Sussex gardeners could dispose of their garden waste sure in the knowledge that it would be composted locally (in Henfield) and sold back to West Sussex gardeners as good quality soil conditioner/compost at a price that was reasonably competitive with peat based compost sold in supermarkets and garden centres. It is a sustainable resource
In contrast, peat is derived from peat bog ecosystems in UK and abroad (Ireland, Baltic States and Finland) that took millennia to form and which are being destroyed so that people can 'make their gardens grow'. In addition, the peat has to be transported by road (and sea) from source to market. This transportation itself consumes fossil fuels, produces noxious and global warming-inducing gases. In particular, this transport clogs up our already congested roads and motorways and contributes to health problems as a result of breathing polluted air.Peat-based compost is not a sustainable resource.
In contrast, peat is derived from peat bog ecosystems in UK and abroad (Ireland, Baltic States and Finland) that took millennia to form and which are being destroyed so that people can 'make their gardens grow'. In addition, the peat has to be transported by road (and sea) from source to market. This transportation itself consumes fossil fuels, produces noxious and global warming-inducing gases. In particular, this transport clogs up our already congested roads and motorways and contributes to health problems as a result of breathing polluted air.Peat-based compost is not a sustainable resource.
