Peatlands offer significant environmental benefits such as carbon sequestration and wildlife preservation. That’s why we prioritize responsible sourcing. In Canada, where our peat is sourced, most of our peat moss production sites are certified Veriflora® Responsibly Managed Peatlands. Strict regulations also control access to the peatlands and govern conservation of its resources. Scotts Canada integrates peatland restoration techniques developed by the Peatland Ecology Research Group, which has developed a method for restoring vegetation cover of sphagnum peatlands.

Recent research has shown that:

• A plant cover, composed of typical bog species dominated by sphagnum mosses, can be re-established within three to five years.
• The productivity rate of sphagnum mosses and the accumulation of organic matter in restored bogs after eight years are comparable to those in pristine sites.
• The annual carbon balance of restored peatland sites returns to values comparable to those of the natural environment within 10 to 15 years of restoration practices.

We monitor restored sites to ensure the success of the work and contribute to research by supporting data collection at sites for inclusion in the Canadian peatland restoration database. We also develop collaborative relationships with the Indigenous communities where we source sphagnum peat moss.