Reuse Styrofoam Cups As A Simple Seedling Starter

More and more cities, states, and countries around the world are outlawing the use of single-use Styrofoam. This material is insulative, convenient, and cheap to produce. However, Styrofoam has become a significant concern for both human health and the health of the planet.

Despite our efforts to avoid using it, it's extremely hard not to end up having to use Styrofoam occasionally. Whether your favorite restaurant hasn't switched to more eco-friendly takeout containers or your partner has a yen for fast food that serves drinks in Styrofoam cups, it's nearly impossible to avoid it entirely. While we don't encourage you to go out and buy new packages of Styrofoam cups, it's a great idea to make the best of what can't be recycled and what will take centuries to break down in a landfill and use it to start seeds. There are lots of benefits of starting seeds indoors instead of buying plants, and getting them going in hard-to-recycle containers is even better.

Let's put extra emphasis on the word "reuse" and give those water-tight vessels another life nurturing seedlings. Get as many seasons out of them as you can, and hopefully don't keep building up a collection of more Styrofoam cups. Plenty of other types of empty food containers can be perfect DIY seed starters. Doing this not only reduces post consumer waste, it also saves you from spending unnecessary money on gardening supplies.

Before turning your potential trash into stars of seed-starting, you may want to weigh some issues that could remove the word "perfect" from your personal description of using Styrofoam to hold seedlings. Health concerns have come up about exposure to Styrofoam; researchers have reported that unsavory toxins leach from Styrofoam containers, possibly causing a frightening number of health problems. While this is a major concern when it comes to the food we store and later consume, many university extension services still recommend starting seeds in repurposed Styrofoam containers without mentioning any potential danger. Keep these things in mind before you move forward with your planting.

Prep your cups by poking a few drainage holes in the bases, and sit them on a tray before you fill them with soil. You can even mix up your own with our winning recipe for organic seed starting mix. Tuck in your pre-plants, give them some water, set them in a sunny window or under a grow light, and play the waiting game.

If you've personally cut Styrofoam from your shopping list, there still are opportunities to reap the benefits of Styrofoam seed starting while rescuing lots of trash from a future in a landfill. Parties, work gatherings, church socials, and more all are potential sources of trash cans full of Styrofoam cups. If the idea doesn't gross you out entirely, bag up a stack of them, give them a light hand wash in your sink, and put them to use. Just make sure you let the host know that you're interested in reclaiming trash before rifling through the bins.