If you want to landscape your backyard in the most sustainable way possible, using recycled materials is the best way to go. And aside from reducing waste to help save the environment, using recycled materials also helps you save money on landscaping supplies.
So, while looking for a good landscaping supply store in Utah or any other state, here are some of the smartest and most creative ways to landscape your yard with used materials:
1. Look for used rocks
Aside from purchasing recycled decorative stones from a local supplier, you can also try looking for rocks from construction sites, other people’s curbs, and farm fields. Usually, the people who offer these rocks are more than happy to give them to you for free, as long as you have the means to transport them yourself.
Alternatively, you can go and pick up rocks in places where rock collecting is allowed. Check with the local government if rock picking is allowed and how much you are permitted to get in a day.
2. Use pallets
Wooden pallets can be repurposed for many things. They can be upcycled into furniture, transformed into garden planters, converted to tables, and so much more. Needless to say, wooden pallets are one of the best materials to use for sustainable landscaping. You can take them apart and use them to build planters, garden chairs, hanging gardens, and patio tables, among many others. The best part? They are affordable and available almost anywhere.
3. Be creative with your planters
You can use almost any container as a planter: wheelbarrows, buckets, wooden boxes, water bottles, old pots, and even broken appliances. If you want to spend zero money on “new” plant containers, look in your garage, at yard sales, or up in the attic for things you can put plants in.
4. Skip the new furniture
One of the focal points of a garden is the outdoor living space. However, buying new furniture is a no-no if you want to go down the more sustainable route. Luckily, you can find used outdoor furniture on the Craiglist, yard sales, furniture stores, and thrift shops at a fraction of the price of a new set.
5. Build with eco-friendly concrete
If you want to build a deck or pathway with concrete, you can make the project more eco-friendly by using concrete made with recycled materials or fly ash. Structures made from eco-friendly concrete are just as durable as regular concrete, but without the same effect on the environment.
6. Recycle old tires
Old tires can have many second lives. They can be used as planters, shredded into rubber asphalt, built into walls, or upcycled into creative centerpieces. Rather than letting them end up in the dump where it will take 80 years for them to decompose, use them in your yard as landscaping material.
These are just some of the ways you can use recycled materials for your landscaping; there are so much more you can try. By using recycled materials, you can make your garden greener without spending a lot of money.
