Eco-friendly Gardening with Recycled Household Products

Last Updated on April 8, 2022 by Real Men Sow

This week, the nice people at nearby Recycle for Essex plugged my blog on their Facebook page. Being far too kind, they said some very generous things but moreover got me thinking about recycling on the allotment. This got me thinking, I should start an eco-friendly gardening blog!

Start Eco-friendly Gardening with Recycled items

Allotments are brilliant places for witnessing incredibly resourceful ways of reusing stuff that would otherwise be heading for landfill. I’ve seen tyres with potatoes growing out of them, bathtubs or water butts for collecting rainwater, and pallets made into all manner of things. The Internet is also full of ideas on how to reuse unwanted items, and a quick Google will reveal some beautiful examples from really creative people.

But what about those of us who fail miserably when it comes to both imagination and practicality (yes, I’m talking about me…)? What can we do to reuse, reduce, recycle on our allotment plots, and save a few quid in the process?

Here are 9 common household objects that find themselves being reused very simply on my plot.

9 Best Reusable Household Items

Toilet Rolls

I use these for growing in modules. Cut in half or thirds, they’re particularly useful for seeds that are tricky to germinate, like parsnips. Fill them with multipurpose compost, pop a couple of seeds on top and then sprinkle over some more compost, and once the seedlings get a few centimetres high you can plant the whole thing out. The cardboard will simply rot down into the soil.

Margarine Tubs and Lolly Sticks

I once paid two quid for a bag of white plant labels, and then I saw my mum cutting up margarine tubs and using them instead. I bowed to her frugal ways and spent the next two quid on seeds.

Old lollypop sticks can also be used in this way, and look very presentable sticking out of a pot or in front of a row of seedlings.

Yogurt Pots

Before the sad closure of my local nursery a couple of years ago, I never paid for plastic plant pots as they always had a big box of free second had ones for customers to help themselves to. Since then, my supplies have run dry, so I’ve used yoghurt pots to fill the void with no problems at all. Just remember to put a few holes in the bottom to allow drainage.

Are Plastic Milk Bottles, Drink Cans, and CDs belong to Eco-Friendly Gardening?

Milk bottles and drink can make great safety covers for the tops of pointy sticks and canes and double up as effective bird scarers when they rattle in the wind. A nearby plotholder uses CDs to keep the birds away. He puts sticks in the ground, ties string along the top, and hangs CDs down on more string.

Plastic Bottles

Big squash bottles are great for turning into cloches for frost protection and early sowings. Simply cut one in half and slot it over the young plant. They might not be as stylish and attractive as a purpose-made cloche, but they’re not £30 either…

Bubble Wrap

Next time you receive a parcel, don’t throw away the bubble wrap. Laid over seedlings on a cold night, the wrap provides insulation and protection from frost and is a much cheaper alternative to horticultural fleece.

Why is this Eco-friendly Gardening?

You are simply reusing your waste and reducing the exposure to purchasing new items for gardening tasks. Small steps make big changes and sometimes it starts with incorporating your forgotten waste into your allotment garden.

Real Men Sow
Real Men Sow

Hello, I’m Pete and I’m currently based in the west of Scotland, in a small place called Rosneath, where I’m exploring my garden adventures. I personally started gardening around 6 years ago and initially, I started out by growing my favorite fruits and berries, such as strawberries, Raspberries & Gooseberries. Since then I’ve added a lot of vegetables and working closely with my neighbor, it’s been a lot of fun.

2 thoughts on “Eco-friendly Gardening with Recycled Household Products”

  1. My ethos for my plot is recycle and use what people don’t want/won’t steal or break. With a bit of patience you can achieve alot. I’ve used old data cables to delineate borders and reused old edging out on my garden detined for the tip. Old carpet is great weed suppressent, and old pallets going for free are also good, as are old windows for making cold frames. I’ve even used old TV aerials as supports for netting I’m fortunate to have a hazelnut tree on my plot and used the branches I’d saved from when it got cut back to create a nice natural looking border.
    My advice is keep hold of stuff, look around and get idea’s from other people as to what they’ve done and just try stuff out. At the end of the day if you knacker some old data cables who cares!

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