How to make simple newspaper pots... and reuse!

It’s true -- some of my household’s newspaper never makes it to the curb for collection.

This Spring, our newspapers are serving double-duty when we reuse them as biodegradable plant pots.

To make the pots, you can use wooden paper pot makers. Or... you can simply make pots with the help of another reused item. Spice jars are the ideal size for forming pots for your your initial seed starts. So are tomato paste cans.

I begin my pot making with a page of newspaper.

I crease the page lengthwise, and tear it in half.

I fold each page-half lengthwise again to form a strip.

Then, I tear each strip in half.

Depending on the size of your pot “form”, and the desired height of your pots, you may need to adjust your fold. I like to have a folded edge as the top of my pots, as the fold makes the pot opening sturdier. The bottom of the pot can be a single layer; it will be strong enough. For these pots, I adjusted the fold to cover approximately one-third of my paper piece.

Roll the paper around your form to create your pot. Leave enough paper at one end of your form to make the pot bottom.

Tuck in the paper edge at the end to close off your pot and make the bottom.

Press your finished pot down against your working surface to flatten the bottom even more.

Slip the pot off of your form... and admire your work!

If your pot bottom unfolds a little, causing your pot to tip over, don’t worry.

In previous years, I have used tape to hold the bottom together. With these tiny pots, I have found that tape is unneeded. When the pot is filled with soil, it stands well on its own. As moisture from the soil soaks into the paper, the bottom will hold together even better.

This year, I’m pre-starting my seeds in napkins before putting them into soil. I put one to two seedlings into each pot.

In my fennel and chard department, there is even more reuse going on. This rusty muffin tin is long past its baking days. However, it’s the perfect holder for paper pots formed around pint-sized canning jars.

Happy reusing and gardening!

-- Susanne Wiggins

Who’s checking my bin? - Notes from the Field

January 31, 2013
Area 1, Route 5
Field Staffer: Joyce Fountain

It’s still dark and navigating some of the streets in this Bethesda neighborhood can be tricky. “Mostly, I am just trying to find a parking place”, says Collections Field Staffer, Joyce Fountain. Obviously, she is new to the area – because trying to find parking in this area is a constant. On this windy morning, Ms. Fountain has arrived to conduct a Recycle Bin Survey before she begins her daily task of monitoring the County Collections Contractors.

However, she notices right away that many of the blue carts and bins have been knocked over by the wind and some of their contents have spilled to the ground.

"That’s 'Litter before Collection' ", she sighs. She knows that the contractors responsible for collection in this area will be getting calls from residents claiming that recyclables were left on the street, and that lids and cans were stolen. "Residents don’t understand that sometimes the weather conditions can cause these issues."

Right now, Ms. Fountain must get her blue bin survey completed before the trucks start collecting. “The survey will tell us how effective the County is getting its recycling message out. I check each bin to see if there are only acceptable recyclable materials, is the paper bundled and separate from the glass, metal, and plastic like this one...

Finally, is there is any paper, trash or other unacceptable item in the bins?”, asks Ms. Fountain. In this area, most of the bins are in good shape. The biggest issues are foam containers and plastic bags – when set out curbside, both of these materials are trash.

 

"Many of the grocery stores in the area do recycle plastic bags.” She has to run ahead of this Potomac Disposal recycling truck to get her last house.

As I run along with her, our last house poses a question:

Do inline skates really belong in the recycle bin?

Answer:  no, they are trash.  If the skates are still usable, consider selling them online.

For more information on recycling visit our website.  Have a cracked blue bin? Call 311 or go online to request a new one!

-- posted by Jessica Fusillo, Collections Field Staff

Paper in blue bins - Photo of the week

Every day over 1,400 tons of recyclable material are delivered to Montgomery County’s Recycling Center. Ours is a “dual stream” recycling system. That means that we collect the paper and cardboard items separately from the cans, bottles, jars, containers, lids and foil. So what’s wrong with the photo? Paper and cardboard should be contained in the blue recycling cart, not in the blue recycling bin. The blue bin is for cans, bottles, jars, containers, lids, and foil.

Need a bin or cart? Dial 311 or order online – we deliver!

If you don’t have a recycling cart, you can place your paper and cardboard for recycling in a paper bag, cardboard box, or tie it in a bundle, and place the bag, box or bundle on top of, underneath or next to your blue recycling bin.

Read more information about paper recycling in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Thanks for your help so that we can reach our goal to recycle 70 percent in Montgomery County!