Gardeners are being instructed to place washing up sponges of their backyard for a vital cause.
Gardening skilled shares suggestions forward of spring
Gardeners are being urged to place washing up sponges of their backyard in 2026 – for a really helpful cause. It would sound mad, however previous yellow sponges you employ to scrub dishes and plates can truly assist feed your backyard, boosting flowers, serving to fruit and greens and strengthening hedges, so long as they’re pure sponges. That’s as a result of pure (not artificial) sponges are among the many uncommon gadgets you possibly can add to your compost bin to assist create new, wealthy and nourishing soil to your backyard.
Whenever you consider compost, you most likely consider including leaves, lifeless flowers, potato and banana peel and gone off apples to your compost pile, to slowly flip into nutrient wealthy mulch that you may then unfold in your backyard to assist it develop and enhance the standard of your soil.

Gardeners are being urged to place sponges of their backyard (Picture: Getty) Gardening information, suggestions and inspiration plus chosen affords and competitions Subscribe Invalid e-mail
We use your sign-up to supply content material in methods you have consented to and to enhance our understanding of you. This may occasionally embrace adverts from us and third events based mostly on our understanding. You may unsubscribe at any time. Learn our Privateness Coverage
However there are literally all types of different home goods you possibly can add to your compost heap – together with washing up sponges, so long as they’re non-synthetic.
Richard King, a gardening skilled and director at Dino Decking, has supplied recommendation on how one can profit from your waste by revealing uncommon issues you possibly can compost that your backyard will thanks for.
He mentioned: “As we begin spring coming in with longer days and hotter temperatures, gardeners will now see their compost piles thrive and for individuals who are simply beginning theirs, now is a good time to get recycling.
“Compost heaps are nice for the soil, feeding vegetation wealthy vitamins and are an effective way to offer again to nature. By composting these often-overlooked supplies, you’re decreasing waste whereas enriching your soil with numerous vitamins.
“As a substitute of chucking away previous sponges, you possibly can chop them up and add them to your compost. Supplied they’re constituted of pure sources similar to loofah or cellulose they’re nice for balancing the nitrogen-rich supplies and absorbing water holding the compost good and damp for microbial exercise.
“Artificial kitchen sponges, nevertheless, ought to by no means be composted as they’ll add toxins to the compost.”
Richard added that breads and pastries may also assist your compost. He mentioned: “Plain bread, cracker crumbs, and even stale mince pies (minus the foil clearly) could be composted so long as they aren’t lined in butter or dairy.”
Baked items are carbon-rich “browns” that stability out the “greens” from fruit and veg scraps, serving to to keep up a wholesome, numerous compost combine.


















Leave a Reply