How to reduce your plastic consumption at garden centres

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Top tips and helpful advice from sustainability experts.

Gardening is one of the nation’s favourite hobbies and many of us enjoy regular trips to our local garden centre to seek inspiration and stock up on everything we need to feed our green-fingered habits.

But as we strive to garden in a more eco-friendly way, how can we make more sustainable choices to avoid contributing to climate change, to reduce waste and to avoid damaging the environment?

The scale of retail temptation at a mainstream garden centre can be overwhelming, while eco-friendly and plastic-free options can still be a challenge to find. We asked experts for their tips on adopting a greener mindset before we get to the till...

Is the compost in the pot peat-free? Can the plastic pot itself be recycled? If so, where and who by? Where are the tools and pots made? Are the plants grown in the UK? Dan Cooper, founder of Dan Cooper Garden says: “There’s a chance staff won't know the answers, but if more of us asked questions, the answers would be more forthcoming. Don't underestimate the extent to which staff will pass feedback on to their managers, but if in doubt, ask to speak to one or contact the company's head office. Change will not happen unless customers demand it.”

When you buy bagged compost, unless the packaging is clearly labelled peat-free, it will contain peat. It will probably also contain chemicals (weedkillers, pesticides, fertilisers) that are considered harmful to the environment. The Government has deferred an earlier commitment to ban compost products containing peat by 2024, which means – confusingly – that some products will be banned from 2027 while others will remain on sale until 2030. The Garden Organic Organisation warns that consumers can in the meantime unintentionally be stocking up on compost and potted plants which contain peat. “Dobbies are a good choice as everything is grown in peat-free compost” says its head gardener Emma O’Neill. “Also try to buy compost in bulk – a growing number of garden centres now sell it in reusable tubby bags, which you can take back and get refilled."

Many plastic components are now recyclable, so double-check labels, tags, pots and compost bags for the familiar triangle with a number inside. Caroline Mazzey, horticultural advisor with the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) advises: “Avoid black plastic when you can as the waste sorting machines can struggle with the colour in their detection process.”

She also urges consumers to consider alternatives to plastic extras and accessories. “Plastics often break after time in sunlight and can be short-lived. Plant supports can be twigs or woven stems – they're totally compostable and even free. Some garden centres will allow you to transfer your plants into cardboard pots at the point of sale, keeping their own pots for re-use or recycling.” Many garden centres (such as Notcutts and Squires) have drop-off points for pot recycling. Alternatively, wash and reuse plastic pots at home.

Billions of annuals or ‘bedding plants’ are sold in the UK every year. Almost all are sold in plastic packaging and many will have been intensively grown under cover, requiring heat, water, fertiliser and transportation. They are destined to die in winter, and all those resources will be needed again to grow a new crop the following year. Dan Cooper explains: “Buying perennials, shrubs and trees, which are often cultivated outside and come back every season, is more sustainable and easier on your purse. Annuals are some of the easiest plants to grow from seed, so have a go at growing your own.”

When we plant up new gardens, we can’t help but be impatient to see the full effect. Caroline Mazzey says: “Two choices are often made which long-term aren’t so good. Firstly over-buying and planting very close. As they grow, some plants end up dying or having to be taken out anyway. Secondly, buying larger mature plants from the start. These are much harder to establish and need much more attention for a longer time, to get new roots out into the soil. Smaller plants can overtake larger ones in only three or four years.”

Bare-rooted plants are just that — plants sold without a pot and growing medium to protect their roots. They are typically available between November and March when plants are dormant and leafless. “Many trees and shrubs, including hedging plants and roses, are sold this way” explains Dan Cooper. “The plants are cheaper because they're lifted from a field and transported for sale. They need planting straight away but if you're not ready when you buy them, they can be temporarily planted, or 'heeled in’.”

Don’t be tempted by thirsty plants if all you have is a sunny patio. Try to rely on those which need less water like lavenders and succulents. “This is the essence of the ‘right plant, right place’ argument” says Caroline Mazzey. “The same applies to houseplants – choose the hot sunny ones for a south-facing windowsill and keep the leafy tropical ones in the east and north-facing rooms. Save rainwater and re-use grey water whenever possible. Increase the water-holding ability of your soil with plenty of well-rotted organic matter.”

Finally, don’t rely solely on your garden centre. Buying plants from local, independent growers can be better for the environment and often cheaper. “These nurseries have the closest possible relationship with their plants, often having propagated them themselves” comments Dan Cooper. “They will advise you on where to grow them and how to care for them. Groups like Rare Plant Fairs and Plant Fairs Roadshow hold events where several small nurseries come together, offering plants that are more varied than you'll find in a typical garden centre.”

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