Sizzle’s First Campaign – Success or Failure?
For over thirty years, environmental groups have campaigned to stop peat being used in growing. Despite undeniable environmental benefits and numerous false dawns, the ambition is still to be delivered. Could an alternative collaborative approach help hasten the transition to more sustainable alternatives?
With funding from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Sizzle was given the opportunity to test a different approach as part of our mission to deliver long-term systemic change. Thanks to an independent evaluation we can share what has been discovered and outline future plans.
Our Aims
Extensive research identified three fundamental blockers to long-term change. These were:
A lack of alternative materials which could replace peat cost-effectively at scale without diminishing performance.
Insufficient confidence amongst growers on how best to use peat-free alternatives.
A range of legislative blockers which inadvertently were increasing the costs and difficulties of the transition.
Enrich the Earth was created to tackle these blockers by working in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders from across all sectors. The initiative ran for eighteen months. Despite making considerable progress the overall ambition of phasing-out peat has not been delivered, although the use of peat is steadily diminishing.
The Barriers
Our over-arching finding is that delivering large systemic change is highly complex and requires a long-term strategic approach able to address a wide range of interconnected obstacles.
Within the horticultural sector this included resistance from a small number of influential companies and organisations seeking to get maximum commercial value from their peat assets. This vocal group helped ensure that legislators were insufficiently convinced about the need to introduce an outright ban.
Progressive companies wishing to move from peat were hindered by high transition costs and greater complexity. Some of these obstacles were created by legislative barriers hindering the availability of affordable and sustainable alternatives. They were not helped by a lack of awareness amongst professional and amateur growers about how to choose and use peat-free options, leading to some early failures and scepticism. Finally, there was a lack of a coherent and consistent call from the public for change resulting in politicians viewing this as a marginal issue of low priority.
These structural barriers were too entrenched for Enrich the Earth to overcome in eighteen months, but valuable insights have been gained helping to inform future efforts that will specifically address the challenges identified.
Achievements
Enrich the Earth proved that green waste can be a viable component in a highly effective peat-free alternative. This helps to boost sustainability, reduces costs and increases the volume of alternative materials. In 2025 this new compost mix will be commercially launched aiming to disrupt the market and provoke new conversations.
The initiative identified a lack of policy coherency in how green waste can be effectively incorporated with ambitions to create a circular, low carbon economy. A new collaborative public affairs initiative is being developed with Seahorse Environmental building a wide coalition of supporters helping to better inform government thinking. This policy initiative will seek to address high levels of contamination in green waste which is a major obstacle to ensuring there is a steady supply of high-quality materials.
Enrich the Earth has acted as a catalyst bringing retailers, growers, trade bodies and NGOs together with the combined ambition of providing more consistent and accurate information to growers on how best to choose and use peat free alternatives. Consistent wording has been agreed, a new free advisory email will be established and a major communications campaign will be launched at the start of the 2025 growing season.
The sector has realised the benefits of greater collaboration and open dialogue, even when fundamentally different viewpoints exist. The External Advisory Group of over thirty organisations established by Enrich the Earth will continue providing a forum for discussion and learning.
Implications for Funders
Enrich the Earth was made possible thanks to the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation being willing to support a different approach to delivering systemic change. Unlike individual projects with clear, time-bound outcomes, systemic change is costly, long-term and uncertain. This is a risk that funders need to consider whilst also accepting that complex and inter-connected external factors may lead to unexpected changes or setbacks.
Collaboration across sectors is key including with companies often opposed by the voluntary sector. Funders must be prepared for the complexities and potential criticism that arise. Systemic change also requires a combination of vision, technical expertise and a broad skillset. Funders may need to consider fostering new partnerships to meet these diverse needs.
Success or Failure?
In absolute terms, we have not succeeded in our objective to stop peat being using in growing and it seems unlikely that legislation will be introduced in the near future. Securing this ban must be achieved if we are to have a level playing field.
However, a ban is only part of the story. The transition away from peat must not adversely hit UK businesses, it must work effectively for growers and replacement materials must be as sustainable as possible. In these secondary objectives, we believe that Enrich the Earth has made significant progress.
Our legislative programme will provide a more supportive framework for the transition, our Advisory Group has led to greater understanding and collaboration, the new communications campaign will better inform growers, our new product will offer customers a highly effective non-peat compost and we have provided added insight for funders seeking to deliver systemic change.
2025 will determine whether these plans will deliver a significant impact and if they can help build further momentum for an overall ban. To stay informed please sign-up for the free Sizzle monthly bulletins.