Any tips using less plastic in garden?

HelenPleasent

A thought just comes to mind that we should minimize the use of plastic since it's harmful to the environment. We use plastics for gardening, it would be really great if we stop or try to minimize the using of plastics in our garden. 
if you have any idea or ways to reduce using plastics in the garden please share with me. 

Busy-Lizzie

There is an article in December's Gardeners World by Monty Don. He's tried out various flower pots.

Manufacturers are trialling taupe pots, dark grey not black, as it is the carbons in black pots (I think) that makes them unsuitable for re-cycling. I use my black pots again and again for seedlings so I don't need to buy new ones. I use plastic compost bags for making leaf mould in for mulches.

Pete.8

From what I understand, black pots don't get recycled as the sensors that sort the waste can't 'see' black, so it ends up in landfill, grey, brown and other colours are ok, just not black. It's the same with ready meals in black plastic trays. Time the manufacturers sort it out.
I've been using the same pots and trays for may years.

Singing Gardener

Apparently 75% of councils won't accept plant pots of any colour for recycling (I'm pretty sure mine won't).

Lyn

Mine leave any coloured food trays except white or clear. 

cornelly

Our plastic pots are reused, this morning set up 60 square black pots 11cm to sow broad beans, next will be for peas, our ground is heavy clay so November sown broad beans don't stand the wet winters we are now having, so it is into pots to get a good start, but yes plastic pots last for quite some time, no need to dispose of in the family waste.

JennyJ

Mine will only take plastic if it's bottle-shaped.  No trays or pots of any colour (not even the clear trays/punnets that fruit sometimes comes in, even though they are the same type of plastic as soft drinks bottles).

Lyn

Gosh Jenny, your council need a sorting out! 
Ours will take yogurt/rice pots and fruit trays.
the coloured ones I use as seed trays if they’re small, nothing gets wasted. 

Obelixx

I re-use plastic pots till they fall apart.  Same with seed trays and modules.   When I do buy new I try and find good quality ones that will last as the only alternatives for seeds and seedlings seem to be peat based pots which is a different environmental issue.  Plastic compost bags get re-used to gather leaves up for leaf mold and I also use them cut up and pierced for a water retentive lining in hanging pots and baskets.

Our local council takes all plastics and packaging and sorts it for various forms of recycling and, I understand, very little ends up in landfill.   

Rubytoo

Noticed recently some supermarkets ("Morrys" my abbreviation) have started to change packaging the likes of ready meals containers from black to brown, green-ish and beige.

The trouble is not just the councils sorting it, but the logistics of sending the processed things to the places that can handle/recycle the particular type of plastics.
Sometimes storing and transporting some them is not financially viable.

There is a price and some compromise with so many things, we can only do our best.

The mantra for the likes of garden pots and trays here is,  re use, re use, re use, until you cannot reuse them no more, I also like to boogie, but not in front of anyone.

raisingirl

pots and seed trays are difficult. As said, buy heavy duty and reuse a lot. In theory you can use wooden seed trays and terracotta pots. In practice they have fairly serious shortcomings which is why plastic has become so prevalent - it works better. Likewise polythene covers on cloches, etc. Glass is a very heavy and expensive alternative and for most people, not practical. So buy heavy gauge polythene, clean it and store it carefully, maximise the life of what you have.

But plastic coated wire ties, plastic netting and fleece all release microfibres and there are natural alternatives for all these available at comparable costs. Not as durable, but durable enough, generally, for the purpose.