This TikTok video will show you a creative and sustainable way to repurpose a common grocery purchase into a gardening essential.
The scoop
On TikTok, Kia Jade (@kiajadeurbangardening) shared a crafty way to repurpose old cartons into self-watering plant pots.
"This gardening hack is such a great tool to save money and recycle, and it's so easy," she says. "All you need is a milk carton, and you're going to be making your own self-watering DIY pot."
@kia_urbangardener This is a great DIY gardening hack to save money & recycle! I'd recommend doing this if you ever need a self watering pot 🥰 P.s when I said "Snake Plant" it is actually a "spider plant" different animal 😂 🕷️ How do you recycle and save money in the garden? #moneysavingtips #gardeninghack #gardeningtips #gardeningtiktok #recycling #recyclinghacks #gardening #gardenproject #gardentok #gardeningforbeginners #growingfoodathome #gardening ♬ Happy Day - Ramol
To make this yourself, "just cut [the milk carton] in half, put some holes in the lid, put them together like so, add some soil, and then choose whatever plants you're wanting to plant in the pot. … Then you'll have a self-watering pot that's easy and free."
Looking for something to grow in your new self-watering plant cartons? Explore our guide, and learn how to grow your own food.
How it's helping
Why spend money on plant pots when you can make your own at home? By repurposing
your old milk cartons into these mini-planters, you'll save money and the environment. Since these pots are self-watering, you'll also save some time.
Milk jugs are very recyclable — the plastic they're made of, HDPE, can be recycled several times. HDPE is also rather durable, allowing the recycled jugs to be turned into a variety of things, including park benches. They're great for upcycling and can be turned into plant greenhouses, watering cans, piggy banks, and more.
Despite HDPE's versatility in recycling, the Environment Protection Agency reported that "the recycling rate … for HDPE natural bottles was 29.3 percent in 2018." This means that less than one-third of jugs are recycled, leaving the rest to go to landfills. When not recycled, HDPE can take hundreds of years to break down.
TikTokers such as Kia Jade share valuable and creative tips for upcycling and recycling — candles, loofahs, curtains, and more — benefiting both consumers and the environment.
What everyone's saying
Commenters loved this time-saving trick, with a couple of users calling the craft "clever!"
Kia Jade said the hack was her way of "trying to find ways to re use things more effectively."
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