Sustainability focus: Newspaper plant pots for school growing

Learning objectives:

Reduce | Reuse | Roll | Seed | Seedlings

A seedling is a young plant grown from seed.

| Biodegradable

Anything that can be decomposed by fungi, bacteria and micro-organisms, so it doesn’t persist indefinitely in the environment. Biodegradable plastics are usually made from plants, such as bamboo, rather than fossil fuels. Ideally, products that claim to be biodegradable should break down quickly and leave nothing harmful behind. However, they may need specific conditions in order to biodegrade successfully or may produce greenhouse gases such as methane in the process.

| Carbon

Use this symbol-based guide to support understanding:
Download Widgit guide (118kB)

• Newspaper
• Scissors
• Cylindrical mould (e.g. a small jar or can)

1. Cut a sheet of newspaper into 3 long strips. Lay the mould at one end of a paper strip, with some paper hanging below the edge of the mould

2. Roll the paper around the mould

3. Hold the paper join with one hand and tuck the spare paper over the mould with your other hand

4. Press down on a hard surface to seal the bottom of the pot

5. Remove the mould and voilà!

• Put the pots into a tray before adding peat-free compost
  

  Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.

  . The newspaper can get a bit soggy so this will make them easier to move
• Newspaper pots can be planted straight into the ground, where they will break down adding structure to the soil