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Compo peat-free compost and what the UK rules actually say

Updated: October 2026

You want a sack that says peat-free, and you have heard that peat compost was banned in 2024. Compo peat-free compost, among the five bags in this comparison, is a single 7.5 litre title. The Sana listings beside it do not say peat-free. Peat-based compost can still be sold, because the ban that was announced was not enacted. This is the page for that distinction. The shelf prices sit on the [Compo potting compost comparison](/hub/fertiliser-soil-and-bark-mulch/compo-potting-compost). Peter F. used Defra, Parliament, the Royal Horticultural Society, and the amazon.co.uk listings saved on 19 October 2026. This is not a laboratory peat test of a delivered sack.

You want a sack that says peat-free, and you have heard that peat compost was banned in 2024. Compo peat-free compost, among the five bags in this comparison, is a single 7.5 litre title.

Our top picks

Compo Compo Sana Confort universal 12 L

Best overall

Compo Compo Sana Confort universal 12 L
5.4/10about £16.92
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Compo Compo Sana potting soil 5 L

Rank 2

Compo Compo Sana potting soil 5 L
7.7/10about £20.29
View offer
Compo Compo peat-free bio universal 7.5 L

Alternative

Compo Compo peat-free bio universal 7.5 L
5.0/10about £26.41
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On this page
  1. 1.The ban that was announced and not enacted
  2. 2.What the RHS changed, and what it did not
  3. 3.Sana beside the peat-free title
  4. 4.What the peat-free title does not prove

The ban that was announced and not enacted

In August 2022 Defra announced that amateur sales of horticultural peat in England would end by 2024. That end date passed without the ban becoming law. A letter from Baroness Hayman, dated 29 January 2026, says sales will end when Parliamentary time allows. A written answer on 19 March 2026, from Mary Creagh, repeats that pledge. Neither document names Compo. The Horticultural Peat (Prohibition of Sale) Bill is a bill, not an Act. You still have to read the bag.

What the RHS changed, and what it did not

Peat compost left RHS retail in 2019. The society has described "no new peat" across most operations from 1 January 2026. Its retail note says the legislation stalled. That rule binds the RHS. It does not bind amazon.co.uk, and it does not turn a Compo Sana listing into a peat-free product. If the bag does not say peat-free, it most likely is not. Organic does not mean peat-free. Litres stay on the buying guide.
Compo Compo Sana Confort universal 12 L

Testsieger

Compo Compo Sana Confort universal 12 L
5.4/10about £16.92
View offer

Sana beside the peat-free title

The peat-free title is Tom Garden Compo Peat-Free Bio Universal, 7.5 litres, at £26.41, about £3.52 a litre, part 11224. The manufacturer field reads TOM-GARTEN. The UK bullets do not state a feed window. Read the sack when it arrives. A title is not a chemical assay. The Sana bags in this set do not say peat-free. Silence is not a peat-free claim. COMPO's international Sana page describes responsibly produced peat. That page is not the UK bullet. Which bag to open is on best Compo potting compost.

What the peat-free title does not prove

Bio on the title is not a Soil Association number. The saved listing does not name a UK organic certifier. All 50 reviews in the raw sample are from Germany. Peat-free does not mean gnat-proof. Drying the surface and a closed bag are on the how to use page. A German retailer text for article 11224 mentions feeding again after 2 to 5 weeks. This amazon.co.uk page states no weeks. The peat-free words answer one question: this title, unlike the Sana titles, says peat-free.

Common questions

Is peat compost banned in England now?
No. Defra announced in August 2022 that amateur peat sales in England would end by 2024. That ban was not enacted. A letter of 29 January 2026 says sales will end when parliamentary time allows, and a written answer of 19 March 2026 says the same, with a fresh impact assessment if a bill proceeds. The Horticultural Peat (Prohibition of Sale) Bill is not an Act. Peat-based compost can still be sold. You still have to read the bag.
Which bag in this set says peat-free?
Only the 7.5 litre Tom Garden Compo Peat-Free Bio Universal, at £26.41 in the snapshot, part 11224. The 5 litre Sana, the 10 litre Sana, the 12 litre Confort, and the 5 litre green-plants-and-palms bag do not say peat-free in the title or the bullets. COMPO's international Sana page talks about responsibly produced peat. Use the title on the listing you are buying, then read the sack.
Does Bio mean Soil Association?
Not in this saved listing. No certifier and no Soil Association number are printed there. Bio is the word in the title. The manufacturer field reads TOM-GARTEN. COMPO's international BIO page uses EC-organic wording, which is not the same as a UK certification mark on this amazon.co.uk listing. If you need the mark, require it on the bag.
If Sana does not mention peat, is it peat-free?
No. Treat silence as not peat-free. That is the Royal Horticultural Society's buying tip, and it matches the international Sana page, which describes responsibly produced peat rather than a peat-free mix. A different Compo product somewhere else in the Amazon catalogue does not change these four Sana-family listings. Only the 7.5 litre title in this set says peat-free.
Are the reviews on the peat-free listing from the UK?
The star line, 4.3 from 2,232, is the amazon.co.uk aggregate. The raw sample of 50 reviews is entirely from Germany. Gnats and flies are mentioned in that sample, and one reviewer chose the bag because it said peat-free. Those sentences are German customer comments. They are not a UK trial of how the mix behaves in a British flat.
Does peat-free mean no fungus gnats?
No. Fungus gnats breed in damp organic compost, including mixes that never contained peat. The German reviews on this listing mention gnats and flies. Keep the surface drier if the plant allows it, use a pot with a drainage hole, and store the open bag closed and cool. The how-to page covers that sequence. The peat word does not replace it.

Related pages

Compo potting compost comparison

Compo potting compost buying guide

Best Compo potting compost

How to use Compo potting compost

Compo potting compost for houseplants and small palms

Sources

Public UK and maker sources from the research digest, used for this page in October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are from the five amazon.co.uk listings captured on 19 October 2026. A UK peat ban is not in force. German and Spanish review samples are not British customer experience. Bio on the 7.5 litre title is not a Soil Association number in the saved listing.

  1. Defra, sale of horticultural peat to be banned (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. RHS, retail peat-free from 2026 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Baroness Hayman letter, 29 January 2026 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Horticultural Peat (Prohibition of Sale) Bill (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. RHS, fungus gnats (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. RHS, growing plants in containers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. COMPO SANA universal potting soil (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. COMPO BIO universal potting soil (retrieved 19 October 2026)