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How You Can Make a Difference and Help the Peat-Free Garden Campaign

Below is a draft letter you might like to send to your local County Council/ or Counselors who are responsible for implementing the EU Landfill Directive and waste management strategies at a local level in the Republic of Ireland. Alternatively to make your letter more personal we have given some additional points you could include at the end of the draft letter.

Under the EU Landfill Directive, Ireland has an obligation to reduce the amount of waste that is going to landfill sites. The responsibility for this at a local level lies with the County Councils.

In addition waste management plans drawn up by County Council must also address the matter of organic and green waste recycling - which will produce large quantities of compost material that could feed back into gardens - reducing the demand for peat.

County Councils must also ensure proper implementation of the Planning and Development Regulations of December 2001, which require planning permission for peat extractions over 10ha on bogs. While an Environmental Impact Assessment is required if the peat extraction exceeds 30ha.

County Council action is urgently needed on these issue.

Your voice could help us put composting and the conservation of raised bogs on the agenda in this election year.

If you do send a letter we would appreciate you sending on a copy to us as well.

Dear Counselor,

I am writing to you in relation to the conservation of raised bogs in the Republic of Ireland and how the composting of organic green waste can help to save them. Almost half of household waste is organic and this valuable natural and sustainable resource generally ends up in landfill sites.

Under the EU Landfill Directive, Ireland has an obligation to reduce the amount of waste that is going to landfill sites. The responsibility for this at a local level lies with the County Councils. It is their obligation to provide information on and facilities for the composting of organic household and garden waste. This can be done by providing individual households with composting bins or by setting up community composting schemes.

By increasing the amount of green-waste compost produced, then the horticultural demand for moss peat would be reduced, as people realise the benefits of using home-produced compost. Not only will it help save the consumer money, reduce problems with landfill, but more importantly it will help conserve the remaining Irish raised bogs. These are internationally important as they represent 51% of raised bog habitats remaining in Europe.

A further way the County Council could help protect bogs is by enforcing the planning laws in relation to developments on sensitive raised bog habitats, Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). In the new Planning Regulations that were introduced in December 2001, planning control will apply for peat extractions over 10ha and an EIA must be submitted if the extraction exceeds 30ha. 14 bogs that are designated as NHAs have been damaged by moss peat extraction.

Yours sincerely etc.,

Additional points that you may like to use in your letter:

* Ireland has given a commitment under Agenda 21 for the sustainable use of natural resources. The commercial mining of moss peat at current rates is not a sustainable activity.

* Between 37 and 38 million tonnes of solid waste are generated each year in Ireland. 70% of household and commercial waste produced in Ireland is sent to landfills. 42% of household waste is organic.

* Only 4% is recycled or re-used. Theoretically, 70-80% of household waste can be re-cycled or re-used.

* Ireland originally had 308, 742ha of raised bog. Today, only 25, 189ha remain, which represents 51% of the remaining raised bog habitats in Europe

* In the new Planning and Development Regulations of December 2001, planning permission must be sought for peat extractions over 10ha. An Environmental Impact Assessment is required if the peat extraction exceeds 30ha.

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