Series 5 – How to Reduce Plastic Waste in Your Garden: Sustainable Practices

Welcome to the 5th post of Reducing Plastic Waste in your Everyday Life series.

In this post, I will give you tried and tested practical tips and tricks that will help you to reduce plastic waste in your garden.

We all know the importance of plants and trees in our lives. No living being can sustain itself without these amazing free sources of oxygen. But at the speed of the rainforests being cut, we might soon carry oxygen tanks everywhere. I know this does sound over the top but if our generation doesn’t do anything about it, this might become a reality.

Most of us live in an urban world and planting an entire forest is not possible for us but we can plant something small in our balcony or garden or anywhere we have little space. You can even have indoor plants. I have seen some of my friends who do have some plants but they are generating so much plastic waste that it defeats the purpose of having plants altogether.

I have recognized the impact of plastic on our environment, from plastic pots to synthetic fertilizers, and trying to reduce all kinds of plastic usage in my garden. I just need to look a little hard and most of the products needed for gardening are already available at home. Now, let me start with the actual tips.

Reduce Plastic Waste in Your Garden: Reuse All Containers

The moment anyone decides to set up a garden, the first thing that comes to mind is the pots and invariable we all end up at Walmart, Costco, or Amazon. We just buy whatever pretty pots we like without bothering to see the material they are made of.

I had fallen for this a few years ago when I was just starting my sustainability journey. A few years into my eco-friendly lifestyle, when I was talking to my kids about living an eco-friendly life, and the importance of trees and plants in our life, it was my elder one who pointed out the amount of plastic I had in my garden. It was defeating the purpose of not generating waste and planting more trees. That made me think about how to minimize plastic use in my garden?

I just started looking at my wastebasket, and I could see a lot of containers that I could reuse as pots. Now almost all my juice and milk cans, big plastic containers like laundry detergent cans, or any other plastic containers are being used as pots in my garden. If I have time, I get my kids to do some artwork and it gets them excited and they also get involved in gardening.

It’s like killing two birds with one stone. I get to spend some time with kids and also save the environment.

Now, I repurpose not just plastic containers but also all tin cans for my garden. In my partner’s words, nothing can bypass me without being repurposed. This one sentence gives me a lot of strength and hope to keep doing what I am doing.

Based on my experience, this one activity will alone help you to reduce plastic waste in your garden by a large quantity.

Reduce Plastic Waste in Your Garden: Implement a Composting System

We all know that when food waste decomposes in landfills, it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Methane is significantly more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Which is extremely harmful to the environment.

I had seen cleaning staff mixing food and non-food waste even though people separated it. This mixing of waste completely defeats the purpose of segregation. I tried to explain several times to the cleaning staff, and some understood but most of the people remained oblivious to this as they knew it would eventually get mixed somewhere in the garbage disposal process.

When I was not able to get this done at a large scale, I decided to do something small just for my house food waste. I decided to set up a small composting unit in my backyard. It took me several trial and error to get it right but now it’s on auto pilot mode. We all as a family, collect all the food waste in a container and all goes to the home composting unit once in two weeks. (I prefer only vegetarian food in the composting unit as it smells less and compost gets ready pretty fast).

Composting at my home has become a norm as my entire family is on board not just with the idea but they help me out in doing so. It has greatly helped us in reducing our plastic waste.

Composting reduces the amount of organic waste you throw away and minimizes the need for plastic garden waste bags. You can create rich, organic fertilizer for your garden while diverting waste from landfills by composting kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, and plant trimmings.

You can use any composting techniques to reduce plastic waste in your garden. This will effectively work to reduce plastic waste in your garden.

I used this method and had 3 of these pots in my balcony when I started.

Reduce Plastic Waste in Your Garden: Use Natural Mulch

Many gardeners use plastic mulch to suppress weeds and retain moisture, but this practice contributes to plastic pollution. Instead, I opt for natural mulches such as wood chips, straw, or shredded leaves. I buy these natural items from my local market or any vendor at less than a quarter of the cost and the best part of buying from local sources is that I get these products without any plastic packaging, helping me to meet my commitment of reducing plastic waste.

These natural materials provide similar or better benefits and improve soil health as they decompose, helping me to create a more sustainable garden. This is not only applicable for mulch but look for biodegradable alternatives for garden supplies in every aspect.

Reduce Plastic Waste in Your Garden: Use Natural Pest Control

Most of us need some kind of pest control however small our garden or farm may be. Most of us use plastic containers for pesticides and herbicides, which can be harmful to the environment. Instead, explore natural pest control methods like companion planting, beneficial insects, or homemade remedies. This approach protects your garden and helps you adopt effective natural pest control methods for sustainable gardening.

I don’t have much idea about big farmers but I am sure if you can just ask your grandparents, they will have the most effective remedies for these things.

But for my small house gardens, I have been using just companion planting and Neem oil and Neem Tree for the past few years and it has been working fine for me.

• Companion Planting: Planting certain crops together can deter pests. For example, marigolds can repel nematodes, and basil can help protect tomatoes from pests. I have planted a few basil plants in my garden and it has helped my tomatoes to grow better over the last 2-3 years.
• Neem Oil: Derived from the neem tree, neem oil is a natural insecticide that disrupts the life cycle of pests like aphids and spider mites. It’s safe for beneficial insects when used properly. There is only one Neem Tree in my entire garden and it does help in reducing the pest in my garden.

Reduce Plastic Waste in Your Garden: Purchase Plants from Local Nurseries

When buying plants, opt for local nurseries that use sustainable practices. Many large retailers rely on plastic containers for their plants, while local growers may offer options in biodegradable pots or even bare-root plants, which can further reduce plastic use. This supports the idea of choosing sustainable plant pots for your garden.

Reduce Plastic Waste in Your Garden: Be Mindful of Packaging

When shopping for seeds, fertilizers, or other gardening supplies, pay attention to packaging. Choose products with minimal or no plastic packaging. Always try to get your supplies from local vendors as they will be supportive of providing you with the basic ingredients of any or all needs without extra accessories like plastic packaging. If you have to buy from supermarkets or from online portals, support brands that prioritize sustainability and offer refillable or compostable options. This simple practice can lead to significant reductions in plastic waste.

Reduce Plastic Waste in Your Garden: Educate and Involve Your Community

I often remind myself that no step is too small, and there’s nothing you can’t achieve on your own. Reducing plastic waste in your garden doesn’t have to be an individual effort; together, we can turn it into a community goal.

As humans, we thrive in communities, and what better place to gather than in a garden? Just picture a garden free of store-bought plastic pots, filled instead with vibrant household containers painted by kids. It would be a beautifully colorful space, pleasing to the eye and full of life.

Do Spread the word about reducing plastic waste in gardening by engaging with your community. Organize workshops or discussions to share sustainable practices and encourage others to adopt eco-friendly gardening methods. The more people involved, the greater the impact we can have.

I started this movement a few years back in my community and it took a huge amount of effort not just from my end but also from my close friends and family. They helped me to explain to all my other friends and neighbor’s the importance of reducing plastic waste and trips and tricks what they can do. Together we are running a large capacity composting unit and the entire 250+ houses wet waste (food waste) goes for composting. Our community garden doesn’t buy any fertilizers, this compost works very well.

You can follow these simple ideas to reduce plastic waste in your garden too.

In the past 4+ years, there has been no food waste sent to garbage disposal canters from our community. Now we are trying to spread this mission to near my communities too and we are open to any help we can get. If you are looking for something similar or if you have implemented anything in this field (without costing much), pls let us know and we will reach out to you.

Reduce Plastic Waste in Your Garden– My Conclusion

The tips mentioned above are just the beginning of what we can do for future generations. I came across a powerful saying a few years ago: “We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children.” This simple statement prompted me to reassess my lifestyle, leading to significant changes in my daily habits.

I truly believe that if everyone makes a few small adjustments, we can collectively achieve a substantial reduction in plastic waste. I’m not suggesting that you undertake major changes that might feel inconvenient; rather, it’s about incorporating manageable shifts into our routines.

We just need to look at things with the question, is it necessary and if yes, what is the eco-friendly sustainable alternative? These eco-friendly sustainable alternatives might be a little expensive but they do last longer resulting in cost savings over a period of time.

If we come together with a shared goal, such as aiming to reduce our carbon footprint by 20% or any target we choose, we can create a meaningful impact without relying on outside help. By uniting our efforts, we can make this planet a more sustainable and livable place for the next generation.

Together we can create a plastic-free garden environment for all of us to enjoy and make this planet a little better.

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