Growing with Biodegradable Plastic Bags: A Sustainable Solution

Did you know that many of the plastic bags used for food packaging today, like the coffee plastic bags from the Dark Horse Roastery, are 100% biodegradable? So when they are empty they make the perfect container for raising your seeds in.

Traditional plastic flowerpots, often cannot be recycled. These biodegradable bags offer a fantastic eco-friendly alternative. When buried or placed in a compost bin, they take approximately 6 months to fully biodegrade. This is remarkable considering that some other household plastics, like toothpaste tubes, can take around 400 years to break down.

It’s easy to start your seeds off in these bags. Simply use a hole punch to create drainage holes in the bottom of the bag, ensuring your seedlings don’t become waterlogged. As your plant grows and matures, carefully cut a slit in the bottom of the bag and then plant the entire bag. Remember to water regularly and keep an eye out for pests and diseases.

Let’s embrace sustainability and make a positive impact on both ourselves and the planet. By utilizing biodegradable plastic bags for gardening, we can reduce waste and contribute to a greener future.

Together, let’s cultivate a more sustainable world!

Here is allotment, showing a runner-bean being planted in a bag from Horsebox

I dug a trench in the soil and then lined it with coffee husks, which you can free from the Dark Horse Roastery. Then I placed comfrey into the trench. But you could use grass cuttings or nettles. I slit a hole in the bottom of the bag, so it was open like a toilet role and planted the whole thing.