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Peat in soil mixes is a climate disaster: Choose Compost Instead

Peat moss shows up in a lot of store-bought potting mixes, but it comes with a hidden cost. Harvested from ancient bogs, peat takes thousands of years to form and plays a huge role in storing carbon. Peat deposits store more carbon than trees in forested peatlands of the boreal biome. (link via Nature.com) Once it’s extracted, that carbon gets released into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change instead of helping heal it.

The good news? You don’t need it.

Compost is a regenerative, low-impact alternative, especially when made from local, existing waste streams. It adds nutrients, improves soil texture, and supports a thriving microbial life underground. And unlike peat, compost doesn't deplete a precious ecosystem—it repurposes what we already have: food scraps, coffee grounds, sawdust, straw, and many, many more.

Building soil with compost is a way to grow greener without stripping the planet bare. So next time you’re potting up a plant or amending your garden, skip the peat.

Choose compost, make compost, buy compost.

What you can do instead:

• Choose peat-free soil mixes—look for compost-based or coco coir alternatives.

• Tell your gardening friends why you’re ditching peat. Word of mouth makes a difference.

• Ask your local nursery to stock and promote peat-free products. (They might not even know!)

• Start composting at home, or support community compost programs.

• Use what’s already here—food scraps, ask your local cafe/restaurants for their compostable waste, leaves, and cardboard. Waste streams become soil gold.

Every time we skip peat, we protect an ancient ecosystem and help build a better one, right beneath our feet.