Give single-use packaging a second life with this easy upcycling project.

March is the time for seed-starting, and these mini-greenhouses are perfect for starting your homegrown vegetables while reusing packaging items we all have!

We started by searching our kitchen and garage to find different types of single-use packaging that we could use. Good items include the plastic packaging from salads, lettuce, cupcakes, and resusable snack bags. Cardboard is also useful, especially for starting seeds that do not transport well as the cardboard makes a perfect compostable pot! Lastly, hold onto those plastic pots from the nursery, as they can be reused year after year for seeds and seedlings.

Along with your container, you will also need tape and a marker for labeling, a knife to cut drainage holes, and sterile seed-starting medium. A spray bottle is perfect to moisten the soil without soaking it.

Toilet paper rolls can be used as individual pods inside a plastic cup for beans, they can be easily transplanted without disturbing the roots once the seedlings are ready.

Cover the cup with a resusable snack bag (with some ventilation holes) and secure with an elastic band. Don’t forget to label!

Place your mini-greenhouse on a protected balcony or sunny windowsill.

Lettuce grown in muffin packaging, the individual pods can be carefully scooped with a spoon to be transplanted outdoors.

Green Beans and Okra sprouting on a windowsill. These will be ready to transplant in May for early homegrown veggies!