Ocean Plastic Pots produces beautiful plant pots, made from ghost fishing waste (nets and other items that trap ocean creatures), that is recovered from the oceans.
Many plants (including indoor lilies and sago plants) are toxic to pets. Learn of toxic plants to avoid near pets (use humane slug/snail deterrents). Avoid facing indoor foliage to outdoor gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows.
Recycled plastic from the oceans is good to obviously clear, but not really a good idea to make into clothes or items that are laundered, as they can release microplastics in washing machines.
However for ‘hard items’ like plant pots, they are a great idea. Ghost fishing waste not only kills countless fish, but also many marine creatures like seals, dolphins, whales, sea turtles and sharks.
- Happy Houseplants offer pet-safe houseplants, along with a pet-friendly houseplant box. Each plant is also designed to be easy to care for. Note some pets may still be allergic.
- Hungry Plants organic houseplant feed contains the perfect NPK formula (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) from sustainably-harvested Irish seaweed, in a slow-release formula. 1 bottle makes 20 litres.
- Water your pot plants with Rain Can (made from recycled plastic, this has an easy-fill design and includes a little ladder for creatures to escape!)
Due to their previous nature, these pots are UV-proof and frostproof. They are made in Scotland and can easily be recycled, but should last you years. The plant pots have a hole in the bottom, and are naturally coloured, depending on the rope and net collected.
The founder (a deep-sea diver) had heard of a 36 tonne sperm whale, that had washed up on the Isle of Harris, in the Outer Hebrides. It later was found to have 100kg of rope, fishing net and plastic debris inside.
Three months later, he was working as a diver on the salvage of a cargo ship, and found that the ship was carrying almost 2000 tons of shredded plastic waste, due to be incinerated. And it had a reef just 20km from the same beach, where the whale had been washed up. Hence the company idea began. One of his big cheerleaders is eco Dragon Den’s Deborah Meaden.
Rope is the main reason for whales becoming entangled in Scottish waters. Just 1 inch of polypropylene rope can lift a double-decker bus, and has a breaking strain of 11 tonnes.
Buy the matching trowel if wished, for your no-dig garden projects. To date, the company has recycled 25 tonnes of rope and fishing nets from Scotland (4 tonnes are from Scottish beaches). All made into plant pots.
It also has a Scottish recycling program that has also recycled over 1000kg of rope and net from the island of Ulva (near Mull). And has also recycled rope and net from 6 Scottish Islands (Skye, Coll, Muck, Rum, Eigg, Coll and Canna).
