At Food of Scotland we have never been more aware of the impact of plastic and its negative impact on the environment if it is not handled with care and consideration.
We continue to use expanded polystyrene (EPS) boxes to transport a combination of our fresh and ambient produce. After testing many different options, we have found that these boxes consistently keep our food freshest and best protected during delivery.
Some of our customers have contacted us to ask what to do with their empty EPS boxes - the following suggestions will hopefully provide some good ideas.
- Bringing on seeds – put seedlings in a pot inside and put a sheet of glass on top, creating a ready-made glass house that never loses its stable temperature. Some bulbs require to be kept in a dry dark space over the winter before being replanted in the spring. A Food of Scotland box is ideal for this.
- Sunken planters for the garden. If you grow mint you will know how invasive the root system can be. Plant it in a poly box just under the ground surface and this will stop the problem.
- A window box that keeps plants warm through winter, so you can have vegetables all year.
- Bringing on leeks and carrots. If they are planted in deep soil in the box, they will grow straight and tall, looking for sunlight.
- A good selection of mixed herbs will fit in one box. Grow in a frost free greenhouse and you need never miss out on fresh herbs.
- Grow mushrooms in the box (mushroom-growing kits are easily found online).
- Keep in the boot of your car and use it to bring chilled and frozen food back from the shops.
- Take on a picnic to keep food at the right temperature (cold or hot).
- Store dry pet food in them or wild bird seed or pellets for hens – with the lid on, the smell won’t get out and everything in the box will remain dry and protected.
- Use the polystyrene to make a Perlite substitute to ensure better drainage and aeration for container grown plants. It is also used for starting seedlings in a soil or soilless medium. Perlite can get expensive! Waste polystyrene is practically a free substitute that works almost as well. Thoroughly clean and cut it into rough 2cm squares with sharp scissors. Place them into a blender with enough added water to float the squares near the top, and whizz them for around a minute. Draining will give you a Perlite substitute with a similar consistency to coarse sand.
- Break the boxes down into manageable sized pieces and use them as the base layer below the soil if you are making raised borders in the garden. This will significantly improve the drainage and reduce the amount of soil you require. This is also an ideal use for the packaging pellets that come with the box.
- Keep the pellets/peanuts and reuse them if you have to pack something fragile to post, the box could be used for this as well.
- They make the perfect insulated beer or wine cooler when filled with ice and water. Ideal for the summer BBQ in the garden.
We hope these ideas help you put the boxes and pellets to good use as well as saving you money on alternatives. You can also be sure that you have not contributed to them ending up in the ocean or in landfill.
Enjoy what we have to offer you at Foodof Scotland and thank you for shopping with us.
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