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Sizzle has announced its first campaign investment for a localised trial to hasten the move from peat use in horticulture to more sustainable alternatives.
When the person-on-street thinks of ‘peat’, their mind probably travels to the huge bags of it that can be bought at garden centres across the land. Little thought will go into where it has come from, or any potential environmental impact of it being in that bag, rather than in its natural ‘habitat’. The reality is that the degradation of peatlands for agricultural use and peat extraction has contributed to approximately 4% of all global greenhouse gas emissions annually – that’s more than aviation!
While peat is now no longer sold in most UK garden centres, supply chains are still difficult to manage, with many seedlings being bought planted in peat.
But natural peatlands play a vital role in the environment, acting as a valuable carbon sink, as well as being giant sponges for regulating water flow, and preventing floods in certain regions while maintaining steady water supplies during droughts in others. Having stored carbon in the earth for thousands of years, once the peatlands are disturbed, that carbon is then released into the atmosphere.
It’s with this in mind that Trewin Restorick – founder of environmental innovator, Sizzle, and winner of the Global Good Awards Leader of the Year category in 2020 – is heading up a trial that aims to offer a realistic alternative to peat, making it easier for people to select a greener choice. Sizzle has brought together organisations including waste management companies, garden retailers, trade bodies, NGOs and academics to explore new sustainable options.
Having recently secured £320,000 of grant funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the initial 18-month trial will look to enhance the quality and consistency of composted materials derived from waste streams, in a specific area. The resultant materials will then potentially have a wider range of uses, helping to reduce the amount of raw materials needed by the industry.
We are over the moon that Trewin will be joining one of the many interactive panels at The Purpose Summit on 12th October, to discuss how to build successful partnerships and collaborations, without risking your business model or reputation. Along with others, he’ll be covering questions surrounding how to choose the right partners, as well as avoiding greenwashing and other reputational bear traps.
We think he’s the perfect choice for the session, having achieved something brilliant through this Sizzle initiative (he’s also former founder of Global Action Plan and Hubbub – both GGA winners!), and are looking forward to hearing his words of wisdom. If you’d like to join us, you can view details of all the sessions and speakers – as well as buy tickets – by clicking HERE.
