We have always been very “green” here at The Tasteful Garden using almost exclusively recycled materials for packaging but we thought we would suggest some great ways of being even more green with our packing materials:

Unlike other companies that ship in plastic shipping containers, the cardboard cartons we use are 100% recyclable as well as made from recycled cardboard and are one of the best ways to reuse materials. Cardboard has been made from recycled material for years so the infrastructure is in place to get old boxes back into new boxes really quickly.

Our cardboard containers that hold our plants make great weed blocking mulch.

No, you don’t have to shred them, just flatten them out, cut a slit to the middle and a circle just large enough for the stem to grow through. About 2″ should be fine. Then when you plant your tomato, gently guide the slit along the plant so the stem comes through the hole you cut. This cardboard stays throughout the growing season and will keep weeds from growing up around your plants! At the end of the season, the cardboard will breakdown either in the garden or compost heap and feed the worms all winter long.

Plastic pots are not the easiest material to recycle but they are perfect to start seeds or cuttings. You can also always send them back to us to reuse or ask schools or a local nursery if they would like them but unfortunately we have yet to find a better container for our plants. We are working on locating pots made of alternate materials that will hold up during the growing cycle and shipping of the plants but at this point, we are stuck with the plastic. If you come up with any better ideas of what to do with the pots, please let us know and we will post it here.

Our plastic wrapping is made from recycled plastic and is one of the most minimal packing items we use. We are in the process of searching for a manufacturer of biodegradable plastic wrap however in the meantime, it can be recycled with other plastic packaging in your regular recycling program.

Instead of bubble wrap or Styrofoam peanuts we have always used recycled paper to add bulk where needed in your cartons. It can also be composted or recycled and is never treated with any kind of toxic material.