The RHS Chelsea Product of the Year has been announced, and this year's winner couldn't be more appropriate for the climate crisis era. The Ocean Plastic Pots the RHS has chosen as the best sustainable product are made from discarded rope and fishing nets.
The garden pots made from ocean waste
Fishing nets left behind by commercial trawlers are a huge problem in our oceans, responsible for injuring wildlife and polluting the ocean floor. At the same time, single-use plastic pots that are used for selling plug plants are a landfill problem and incompatible with wildlife garden ideas. The Ocean Plastic Pots address both of these problems.
The pots are fully recyclable, unlike most plastic pots used in garden centres, or they can be reused. Thanks to the pretty turquoise colour, we think gardeners will want to use them again and again as part of their container gardening. They look so much nicer than plain black or orange plastic pots that are typically thrown away as soon as the plants are brought back from a garden centre.
The runners-up
The runners-up are just as impressive as the top choice of sustainable product this year. Dalefoot Composts took second place, with its timely and innovative compost made from wool and comfrey. With the urgent need to stop the production of peat-based garden compost, the compost mix that uses sheep's wool and bracken is an environmentally responsible alternative that is made from UK-only ingredients. The website has a mail order service delivered to your door.
The third place was taken by another product made from ocean waste – and we predict it will be very popular with gardeners looking for sustainable garden furniture. The best garden furniture should be durable and good-looking, and the stylish DuraOcean Chair is both. Each chair is made from 3.5 kilograms of fishing nets and rope, and sports a trendy egg-shaped design that will fit right into most contemporary garden schemes. The mint green colour is refreshing and will especially stunning on a blond deck or patio.
Among the other runner-up winners were a beautifully crafted garden table, a plastic-free portable loo, and a modular vertical gardening system.
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