Gardening – the ultimate green and sustainable occupation. Or is it?

Caring for the planet: plastics 

It’s the things we buy that can pose a sustainability issue. Plant pots, for example, are generally made from single-use plastic. We don’t need David Attenborough to tell us how environmentally unfriendly this can be. Plastic transporting trays are often made from similar one-use-only plastic too. Then there are seed trays, fertiliser containers, watering cans and plastic-based wheelbarrows. Not to mention tools, compost bags, containers designed to hold green waste, wellies, garden furniture and a whole host of other useful plastic goods.So many items are thrown straight into a bin when they have been used just once.

Compost

Next, there’s the issue over peat-based compost. Our buying habits are beginning to change, but progress is slow. The majority of ‘multi-purpose’ compost offered for sale contains between 70-100 per cent peat. Environmentalists agree that we need to protect our precious peatbogs. These rare places provide unique habitats for insect, plant and bird life that is found nowhere else. The peat bog pictured below is a magical place like no other.

Positive plastics

It is perfectly possible to garden sustainably. It’s also important to realise that not all plastic items are bad. Some can last for decades. Watering cans, strong seed trays and wheelbarrows, for example, provide a useful service for many years. Their life expectancy fully justifies their existence.

What can be done?

The greatest area for improvement lies in those throw-away items. The National Trust is now on a pathway to replace environmentally unfriendly containers with more sustainable alternatives. They include bio-based and recycled paper pots that are biodegradable. Also re-usable plant pots and trays. Several garden centres have introduced recycling schemes whereby their customers can bring back pots and trays for repeated use. Many nurseries are now on a pathway to use peat-free compost.  The paper pot maker pictured below is a great way to recycle newspaper and make something useful

Defra now has a long-term environmental plan which aims to stop plastic from entering the ocean. Retailers are being encouraged to adopt more sustainable practices. There’s still a long way to go, however. Consumer demand could do much to speed up the process.  So how could you, as a gardener and garden-lover, make a difference?

Start at home

The first place to start is at home. Gardens are a great place in which to practice recycling. Pallets are a case in poin (pictured above). More than 60 million pallets are thrown away each year in the UK, either by sending them to the local tip or many end up on a bonfire. So, for those looking to create a more sustainable garden, look to use products that would otherwise be discarded.

Pallets can be used to make compost bins (above). They also make excellent kindling wood for a barbecue or wood fire. Or how about making pallet-based nest boxes and simple feeders for birds?

Keeping the birds away from your seeds and produce

Bird-scarers can be made from unwanted CDs tied onto old bamboo canes and scarecrows can be created from old fabric, stuffed with hay. Plant labels can be formed from plastic cartons and ‘micro ponds’ could be created from plastic containers. If you’ve already collected an array of plastic pots, make sure you re-use them or take them to a nursery that practices recycling.

Shop carefully

Then you can adjust your buying habits and choose only outlets that support sustainability. If you’re feeling pro-active you can message the managers and highlight your feelings about the matter. Grow more plants from seed or cuttings, thereby cutting out the need for retail pots. You might justify getting a (recycled) greenhouse in order to extend your propagation efforts (pictured below). You can even buy sustainable garden furniture, with some of the latest designs being made from plastics recycled from the ocean.

Once you get into your eco stride, it all becomes an established way of life. Enjoy turning green this summer!