How to recycle household waste in the garden: 7 sustainable tips to keep your plants thriving for free
Filling your recycling bin feels great, but did you know there are ways you can use your waste to benefit your garden and plants instead?
What better way to benefit the planet while helping your plants thrive than reusing your household waste in the garden?
It's no great secret that there are several ways you can reuse and recycle items from your home to benefit your garden. From using cardboard as a weed barrier to repurposing old towels for frost protection, thinking more sustainably can massively reduce your waste output.
How to recycle household waste in your garden: 7 expert tips
Sustainability will always be an important garden trend, and there are endless reasons for that. Just look at the rewilding trend; it's not only the most low-maintenance form of gardening, but it's great for your plants and wildlife.
1. Plastic Bottles
From helping protect your plants from slugs to providing a greenhouse effect, plastic bottles can be extremely useful when growing seedlings.
"We all end up collecting these, and they can make amazing mini propagators," says garden designer and influencer Ish @Gardening.with.ish on TikTok. "Simply take some scissors to cut a line along the middle, open it to add in a little bit of soil, then plant one or two seeds,"
"Chuck the lid half back on top, and this makes a nice humid environment that will hold in the heat and moisture that will get your seedlings started," he finishes.
Thanks to the durability of plastic, you can reuse the bottles for years to come.
2. Toilet roll tubes
You might be surprised by how many ways you can reuse cardboard in your garden; toilet roll tubes are just one efficient method.
“Toilet roll tubes make perfect biodegradable seedling starter pots," explains Joe Aldworth, a gardening expert at The Old Railway Line Garden Centre. "Their flexibility allows you to easily shape and fold them to fit your seedlings, whilst the cardboard naturally decomposes over time.”
“When your seedlings are ready to be re-potted, you can simply cut off the bottom and place the entire tube into a larger pot - no mess needed. The cardboard will break down into the soil, promoting healthy root growth without disturbing the plant,” he adds.
3. Cooking water
If you've ever wondered if you can use leftover rice water to water your orchids, you may have also wondered if other leftover cooking water is useful for your plants.
Graham Smith MCIHort, Horticulture expert at LBS Horticulture, says, "As long as salt has not been added to the water, cooking water can be poured onto plants to give them a boost of nutrients. Allow the water to cool down before using, and then it can be used on indoor or outdoor plants"
Graham has extensive knowledge in the horticultural and gardening industries, and prides himself on using this to help gardeners of all skills create their perfect outdoor space.
4. Paper towels
It's no secret that paper towels are a godsend when completing your daily cleaning habits, but the good news is that they're also helpful in the garden.
"Alongside cardboard, kitchen roll or paper towels can be used to add carbon to a compost heap. Simply save the used sheets in a container, then add them to compost with other scraps like vegetable peelings," says Graham.
5. Banana peels
You might not be surprised to hear this one if you've been using banana water on your houseplants, but you can use this nutrient-rich fruit peel outside, too.
"Banana peels contain a lot of potassium, calcium and magnesium, which make them a great fertiliser for plants. You can add banana peels directly to your compost bin, and chopping them into smaller pieces can help them decompose faster," begins Graham.
"If you do not have a compost bin, you can still use the peels by adding them directly to the soil around plants to encourage flowering and fruiting. Alternatively, soak the peels in water for a few days to create a nutrient-rich fertiliser for your plants," he continues.
6. Ice Cream Sticks
You may already use leftover wine cork bottles in your garden for labelling crops; however, if you have more of a sweet tooth, there is an alternative.
Wooden ice cream sticks are just as useful as a labelling method for your plants, simply rinse them off after use and write on them in permanent marker.
7. Egg cartons
It's not just eggshells you can use in your garden to help your plants; the cardboard packaging eggs come in is also super handy for seed sowing.
"Egg cartons can be used in the same way as toilet roll tubes in your garden," says Graham. "Sow a seed in each compartment of the carton, and then when they are ready to transplant, separate the compartments and plant them directly into the soil."
Shop gardening essentials
RRP: £12.64 | These Gold Leaf RHS collections Chelsea Ladies Comfortable Leather Gardening Gloves are perfect for any job you need to tackle in your garden, especially weeding.
RRP: £15.95 | This hand trowel does it all, from cutting through root balls to using the fishtail tip to lift rooted weeds. There's even a twine-cutting notch that doubles up as a bottle opener.
RRP: £7.50 | This popular mix from Miracle-Gro can be used to plant flowers and seedlings in containers. It includes coir, which is great for absorbing water and keeping plants hydrated.
While it's not exactly recycling, another household item you can use in your garden is white vinegar. It has a surprising number of benefits, from cleaning to protecting your plants from fungus.
