Recycle for Cornwall
The Recycle for Cornwall campaign has been developed to raise public awareness of recycling and to provide consumers with a compelling reason to recycle.
at home
at work
at school
on holiday
Television gardener Chris Beardshaw in partnership with the national Recycle Now campaign created an inspiring garden at the 2005 Chelsea Garden Show which was made completely from recycled or recyclable materials. Chris made use of recycled glass tiles and recycled plastic statues as well as recycled compost to nourish his chosen plants.
It’s easy to follow Chris’ example in our own gardens whether you feel like designing your garden on a completely recycled theme or just wouldn’t mind including a few bits and pieces that have lived a previous life.
If you like the look of wood in your garden but don’t want the hassle of keeping it pristine through yearly staining or worry about the chemicals involved in keeping it at its best; you could consider using recycled plastics for your decking, garden benches or stylish planters.
Recycled plastic will not rot, it doesn’t absorb water so resists fungal growth, it is easy to clean and you won’t need to worry about splinters when you sit down to have a barbeque! It takes around 2000 plastic bottles to make a plastic garden bench, which would make it quite a talking point too!
Add decorations made from recycled items Many people add decorations to their garden to enhance the natural beauty, but have you considered replacing your garden gnome with a stylish recycled sculpture? Stunning sculptures have been created from recycled metals and would blend beautifully with any garden. You could also use coloured, recycled glass chippings to give your garden a modern edge. The glass is processed to remove sharp edges and is sturdy enough to withstand people walking on it once laid. The recycled glass can also be used to brighten up your pots with the added advantage of reducing water loss from the plants roots.
Once you have created a perfectly natural haven, you might want to look at encouraging some local wildlife into your garden by using habitat boxes made from reclaimed wood or if you fancy something bright and colourful, try a bird box made from old estate agent signs. You can even buy an attachment to turn a simple plastic drinks bottle into a convenient bird feeder allowing you to get some extra mileage out of the bottle before it is recycled into your garden bench!
If you are keen to keep your garden looking good with minimum effort you might want to try using a mulch made from recycled tyres. Recycled mulch offers years of effective weed control with a material that won’t rot or blow away like woodchip or bark; it won’t absorb the water and nutrients intended for your plants and looks great too! If, on the other hand you’re keen to get your hands dirty with a spot of weeding, make sure you use the most appropriate garden tools, made form recycled plastic of course!
recycle for cornwall