Last week, my science classes made small vermicomposters in class so we can watch them turn our trash into soil. We will also be able to discuss how energy and nutrients flow through the ecosystem and how carbon is recycled. I gave them about a week to bring in old newspaper and vegetable scraps to build our composters with. I ended up with way more newspaper than we were able to use, and I didn’t want to throw it away, so I began trying to think of a way to upcycle it. My idea:
100% Recycled Newspaper Planting Pots
If you’ve ever picked up a newspaper that has been left out in the rain and then dried out again, you may have noticed how it got kind of stiff. It is a texture that reminds me of the peat pots that many people use to start their seeds, so I began to wonder if I could use it to make some planting pots. I figured my idea couldn’t be that original, so I did a quick internet search to find some instructions. To my surprise, I couldn’t find anything resembling what I wanted to do, but there were several blog articles about folding a single page of newspaper origami style into a container shape and planting in that. The problems I read about that style were that they fell apart too easily when transplanting and that if you leave a portion of the newspaper above the soil, it acts as a wick and draws water from the soil only to let it evaporate away quickly. I think my idea will easily solve the first problem, but I’m not so sure about the second.
Soaking The Newspaper
Dry Shredded Newspaper
After Soaking For 2 Days
For my version of a newspaper planting pot, I was going to need the newspaper to be extremely soggy; almost pulpy. I decided to tear it into small pieces and soak them in water. It took about 2 days for it to get the the consistency that I was looking for.
Molding The Paper Pulp Into Shape
Once the paper was ready, I molded it to the inside of a hard plastic cup. I just took small globs and pressed them into the cup; starting at the bottom and working my way up. I was careful not to leave any bare spots, and I kind of worked the edges together with each new blob that I added. I didn’t want there to be any seams that would fall apart after it dried.
Finishing Up The Mold
Finished Filling The Cup
Ready To Dry
Once I had molded the soggy paper onto the entire cup, I had to find a way to dry the thing. Unfortunately, I was not able to get the wet-paper mold out of the cup without destroying it. Instead, I broke the cup away from it. If this project works out, the plastic cups will not be a feasible way to make more of them. The whole point is to use biodegradable materials and to cut back on waste. To destroy a plastic cup for each pot made would be counterproductive. If I plan to make enough of these to actually use, then I’ll need to find a work-around. However, this exercise was just for proof of concept.
Drying It Out
I let the pot sit out for a while to dry, but it was taking way too long. So, I placed it on the air return vent to the HVAC system in my classroom. Again, If I were actually producing these things, then I would want a less energy intensive way to dry them. I would probably find them a nice dry, sunny spot outside. However, I got a little impatient, and I wanted to know if this thing would work.
So, How Did It Turn Out?
Exactly As I Had Hoped
It held together way better than I had hoped it would! The texture actually reminds me of a peat pot, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to water the plant in it without it falling apart. I haven’t tried putting any soil in it, yet. I’m debating whether or not I want to poke some drainage holes in the bottom before I do. I’m going to test it out pretty soon, and I’ll keep you updated on how it works. If it is successful, then I may try to figure out a more efficient way to make them!
Thanks for reading, and if you have any experience doing anything like this, please let me know how it turned out!
