We love the Earth, thus it is our duty and pleasure to protect it.
We save 350,000 pounds of trash from the landfill annually and utilize it for sustainable purposes. Between composting and burning wood in our hand-built rocket stoves, much of it is used to nurture our unique food reality.
Additionally, trash becomes treasure with a little creativity and manpower! Our Shellie AKA @everlove, for example, is a talented artist with an eye for beauty, and rescued resources are her favorite medium! We are constantly utilizing trash for building and art projects. We beautify our space by salvaging discarded material once destined for the landfill. We find resources in great abundance.
It is estimated that 300 million tires are discarded in the US each year. This is some serious pollution for our planet! Some solutions are proposed and being utilized, from using them in new highway construction to shoes, but the problem still looms large.
This trash resource is certainly plentiful! When seen with new eyes, tires can become an excellent resource in your sustainable reality. Here are 4 project ideas for repurposing them:
1. RAISED BEDS
Greens are our most plentiful crop, from kale to Swiss chard to wasabi mustard, and they thrive in the tire beds we created from repurposed truck tires! These are a central feature to our garden and property. They are easy to prep for winter too; we fashion simple greenhouses by pulling clear plastic tarps over them, and we enjoy fresh greens year-round!
All you have to do is fill tires with dirt and seeds or seedlings for interesting container gardens. You can paint them for a little more beauty, and they can be stacked or used vertically!
Tires are excellent to use on sloped land! They add structure and support to prevent soil erosion.
We realize that many people fear that tires may leach toxins into soil and food grown into them. While we can't say this isn't happening, we can attest that we've used them for 8 years with great success. Eden greens continue to be the tastiest ones we've ever had, because our soil is alive! From micro organisms to fungi to earthworms, our soil is constantly breaking its constituents down. In this way, nature is able to alchemize a reasonable toxic load. Compared to the extremely toxic inputs that crops are exposed to on a regular basis from air to water to pesticides, we'll take our greens any day!
2. TIRE CHAIRS
These can be simple or fully customized! They make excellent and durable outdoor furniture. However if it rains, water could potentially collect in your tires--and it is surprisingly difficult to drain a water-filled tire. You can consider drilling holes in the underside of each tire to allow for drainage.
These sweet chairs are simply stacked tires with woven seats over the opening. (image source)
These chairs are fancier, fully painted with an upholstered seat. They even have rollers for easy repositioning! (image source)
Here's a set of low stools! (image source)
3. TIRE SWINGS
Children love to swing, and a sustainable tire swing is a classic toy! There's the traditional style, of course, and there is its evolution: the tire swing horse.
This is easy to create with by cutting, bending, and fastening a tire in the right places.
Again, consider drilling a hole in what will be the bottom of the swing to allow drainage. Select a sturdy tree from which to suspend your tree, and the children can enjoy hours and hours of sustainable outdoor fun!
4. TIRE SANDALS
Did you know you can fashion some sweet sandals out of tires?? These make very sturdy shoes with lots of traction.
Sustainability is always in style! (image source)
We hope you are inspired by the possibilities of utilizing tire and trash resources! A healthier planet depends on each of us making healthier choices, and repurposing what we already have in great abundance is such a choice. A shift in perspective turns rubbish into possibility and great wealth!
www.intothegardenofeden.com
