Save yogurt cups, fruit cups or butter tubs and use them for starting your spring seedlings. Punch a hole in the bottom and fill only three-quarters full with potting soil or seed starter, leaving the edge of the cup for the seedlings to lean on. Put these cups in another plastic container such as a pie tray or one of those plastic lettuce boxes that the mescaline salads come in. This makes it easier to transport your seedlings to sunny windows. You may also find it easier to water seedlings by pouring water into the tray to be absorbed through the hole you punch in the bottom of the cups. The lid of the salad box can be closed to help keep moisture in and protect seedling against cooler night temperatures.
Larger plastic dishes and bowls that come as food containers from the grocery store can be used as garden trays or flower pots for growing herbs and small vegetables. Be sure to monitor the moisture so that plants are not left standing in water.
By recycling the plastic that already comes into your home, you can avoid contributing to the accumulation of plastics in the environment and you will save money that is better spent on seeds and plants.
