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Closing the circle – four ways to be a greener gardener

Reduce, reuse, recycle and reinvest: the four Rs of greener gardening

Life on earth is a series of cycles; the water cycle, the carbon cycle and the cycle of birth, life and death.

Thinking about how we live our lives as part of a cycle – in particular the products and processes we use everyday – is a really helpful way of making sure we’re not causing unnecessary harm to our planet.

This cycle is often referred to as ‘the circular economy’.

There are four main principles in the circular economy: these are called ‘the four Rs’. You can use them to make positive changes in the way you garden. A big added benefit of gardening this way is the money you'll save, it's cheaper and more environmentally friendly, so a winner all round.

1 – Reduce

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Making your own compost (rather than buying it) is an eco-friendly way to save on plastic packaging and get rid of your garden waste
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Sowing seeds direct into the ground reduces both plastic and energy use
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Making your own compost (rather than buying it) is an eco-friendly way to save on plastic packaging and get rid of your garden waste
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Sowing seeds direct into the ground reduces both plastic and energy use
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Making your own compost (rather than buying it) is an eco-friendly way to save on plastic packaging and get rid of your garden waste
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Ask yourself if you really need to do that activity or buy that product. For example, do you really need to buy lots of bags of compost every year, or could you make your own? Do you need to sow seeds in plastic pots filled with bought-in compost, or could you sow them directly in the ground? Can you buy young plants rather than mature specimens? Sharing power tools such as hedgecutters with friends, family or neighbours will save money and help the planet too.

2 – Reuse

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Shredded woody prunings make a brilliant mulch for your plants, so don't throw them away
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There are many creative ways to reuse waste materials in the garden. Broken terracotta pots can be used to fill gabions, making unusual planters
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If you have to use plastic pots, pick out sturdier ones that can be reused.
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Shredded woody prunings make a brilliant mulch for your plants, so don't throw them away
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There are many creative ways to reuse waste materials in the garden. Broken terracotta pots can be used to fill gabions, making unusual planters
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If you have to use plastic pots, pick out sturdier ones that can be reused.
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Reuse what’s there in your garden. This could be existing plants that can be rejuvenated rather than replaced or reusing existing features and materials. Divide mature plants to bulk up your stocks, and save seeds from your flowers. Old paving can be re-used as hardcore for building projects and large branches can be cut into pieces to make log piles and other wildlife shelters. Shred woody prunings to make mulch and use grass clippings to make compost.

3 – Recycle

© HTA
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Black plastic pots aren't recyclable. Look for taupe pots as these can be put in your household recycling when they reach the end of their useful life
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Recycling meets high gardening fashion! Top designer Andy Sturgeon used recycled elements from other show gardens in this spectacular garden at an RHS Flower Show
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Other gardens at RHS Flower Shows are increasingly using recycled materials, such as these bike wheels and oil drums which have become insect hotels
© HTA
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Black plastic pots aren't recyclable. Look for taupe pots as these can be put in your household recycling when they reach the end of their useful life
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Recycling meets high gardening fashion! Top designer Andy Sturgeon used recycled elements from other show gardens in this spectacular garden at an RHS Flower Show
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Other gardens at RHS Flower Shows are increasingly using recycled materials, such as these bike wheels and oil drums which have become insect hotels
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Recycle materials and products as much as possible. Second-hand tools and materials often give you fantastic value for money and always offer great eco-credentials. Salvage yards, eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Freecycle are just some of the places you can buy and sell second-hand. Black plastic pots are a problem for recycling; reuse them as much as possible and ask your garden centre to supply plants in taupe pots, as these can be recycled.
Top tip: pot the difference

Traditional black plastic pots can’t be recycled. If you already have them in your garden the best thing to do is to re-use them as much as possible. Look out for taupe (beige) plastic pots as these can be recycled, or choose biodegradable alternatives such as rice bran pots.

4 – Reinvest

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Look for Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wooden products to avoid contributing to the destruction of virgin forests
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Choosing peat-free compost makes a huge difference to the environment: it's an easy win
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Look for Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wooden products to avoid contributing to the destruction of virgin forests
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Choosing peat-free compost makes a huge difference to the environment: it's an easy win
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Look for Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wooden products to avoid contributing to the destruction of virgin forests
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Reinvest in responsibly sourced and recycled products. Peat-free compost is a great example of this as it not only uses recycled materials (such as forestry waste), it replaces an environmentally damaging product – peat – which is associated with carbon emissions and habitat loss. Look for recycled plastic products and Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified timber products, particularly garden furniture.

Top tip: make the switch!

Running a petrol lawnmower for an hour can create the same emissions as driving a car for 93 miles! Reduce your emissions by switching to electric models wherever possible, and use a green energy supplier.

​Get to know these principles; you’ll be doing the right thing by the environment and you’ll save money too

Gareth Richards, Digital Features Editor

Composting

Composting

Mulches and mulching

Mulches and mulching

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.