Use of unnatural items.

So what do you think about using "trash" in permaculture. I personally use tires. I use them as occupiers for my livestock AND kids. I use them as protection for trees I've planted, for edgers on trees close to the house and for raised garden beds. I've thought about using them as wind blocking fencing and such but haven't drawn a real plan for it yet. Anyone do this?

I think repurposing "trash" is one of the highest uses of permaculture methods. This is especially essential for urban areas where a HUGE waste stream is generated.

My place is full of trash, a veritable toxic dump
I use tyres as seasonal heat-sink surrounds for my warmth-loving plants;
they also stop the mulch getting blown away.
At the end of the season, they go back in their pile behind the shed.

I have a 'lived thriough the depression' type collections of rubber bands, fasteners of all types, bits of string, twisty ties, cloths, jars, lids, envelopes...
I collect old plastic bags for all sorts of things, inside and out

I also have a stack of polystyrene bins. In growing season they hold large quantities of potted tomato seedlings.
My favourite repurposed stuff is my pile of perspex slot machine fronts- with corners drilled and wired, they make great triangular mini greenhouses.
During tomato seedling season, I unwire them and they sit on the polystyrene bins of tomatoes to hurry them along.

Did I mention I like old carpet?
galvanised cold water pipes make great espalier posts and tomato stakes
It's always nice to have a stack of corrugated iron, just in case
Offcuts of plywood-I make a lot of signs for community projects.

Leila Rich wrote:My place is full of trash, a veritable toxic dump
I use tyres as seasonal heat-sink surrounds for my warmth-loving plants;
they also stop the mulch getting blown away.
At the end of the season, they go back in their pile behind the shed.

I have a 'lived thriough the depression' type collections of rubber bands, fasteners of all types, bits of string, twisty ties, cloths, jars, lids, envelopes...
I collect old plastic bags for all sorts of things, inside and out

I also have a stack of polystyrene bins. In growing season they hold large quantities of potted tomato seedlings.
My favourite repurposed stuff is my pile of perspex slot machine fronts- with corners drilled and wired, they make great triangular mini greenhouses.
During tomato seedling season, I unwire them and they sit on the polystyrene bins of tomatoes to hurry them along.

Did I mention I like old carpet?
galvanised cold water pipes make great espalier posts and tomato stakes
It's always nice to have a stack of corrugated iron, just in case
Offcuts of plywood-I make a lot of signs for community projects.

I was watching a Youtube video of a permaculturist in Europe, don't remember the exact place. Anyway, he had rocks everywhere as heat sinks. I don't have rocks. Great alternative, tires! I hadn't thought of that before either.

When we had our roof redone I kept all the old metal. I've built a duck hut out of it. I tend to keep things too. Milk jugs, toilet paper rolls, etc. Sometimes I feel like I'm just hoarding. lol

I use old bicycle wheels a lot. i made a play house dome for my kids out of them but also if i put one over newly planted roots then the racoons leave them alone and don't dig them up. otherwise they get dug up. I am wary of using old tires though because of chemicals in them that I don't want my kids playing around or on and also don't really want to have near my food. I love the old bicycle wheels the rims and spokes. it is easy to get them for free from bicycle repair shops.

Meryt Helmer wrote:I use old bicycle wheels a lot. i made a play house dome for my kids out of them but also if i put one over newly planted roots then the racoons leave them alone and don't dig them up. otherwise they get dug up. I am wary of using old tires though because of chemicals in them that I don't want my kids playing around or on and also don't really want to have near my food. I love the old bicycle wheels the rims and spokes. it is easy to get them for free from bicycle repair shops.

Tires are pretty safe. All of the chemicals are bonded in to the rubber. They are not going to leach out and poison anyone.

I will say for kids you have to paint them or they leave black marks. That part sucks!

Hi, I believe there is a risk with tyres leaching ... My research shows that the problem is when tyres are sitting in water, this is when problems start. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_recycling. I would not use them for plants. However they are great for holding down tarpaulins etc.

Danielle Venegas wrote: I use them as protection for trees I've planted, for edgers on trees close to the house

Just make sure you remove them before the tree gets too big to lift them over
unless you want them there permanently or you've got the gear to cut through the extremely tough steel reinforcing...

Danielle Venegas wrote:Tires are pretty safe. All of the chemicals are bonded in to the rubber. They are not going to leach out and poison anyone

I think that one's up for debate, which you might get a bit of

Danielle Venegas wrote:I will say for kids you have to paint them or they leave black marks

I don't know the science, but I imagine painting them would make a big difference to leaching.

I've researched toxins leaching from tyres, and I've come to the conclusion that at my own place, I'm ok with the potential risks.
I only use them on top of my wood mulch which is on very healthy soil-
the plan is that the healthy fungal/microbial communities will break down or buffer toxins.
I don't bury tyres in the soil.

Back to the trash...I also collect used takeaway coffee cups for my tomato seedlings-I sell or donate hundreds every season.
10 litre plastic paint buckets rock!
As do plastic icecream containers

I am currently collecting pretty glass bottles to use in building a shelter for ducks. so I guess that is another thing I will be reusing. that and the bicycle wheels I plan to get more and build some trellises and arbores out of them. I really love how bicycle parts look. maybe i should contact some shops and ask them if they get any bicycle frames in that are no longer safe for riding on and I could use those in some nice trellises as well!

Leila Rich wrote:

Danielle Venegas wrote: I use them as protection for trees I've planted, for edgers on trees close to the house

Just make sure you remove them before the tree gets too big to lift them over
unless you want them there permanently or you've got the gear to cut through the extremely tough steel reinforcing...

Danielle Venegas wrote:Tires are pretty safe. All of the chemicals are bonded in to the rubber. They are not going to leach out and poison anyone

I think that one's up for debate, which you might get a bit of

Danielle Venegas wrote:I will say for kids you have to paint them or they leave black marks

I don't know the science, but I imagine painting them would make a big difference to leaching.

I've researched toxins leaching from tyres, and I've come to the conclusion that at my own place, I'm ok with the potential risks.
I only use them on top of my wood mulch which is on very healthy soil-
the plan is that the healthy fungal/microbial communities will break down or buffer toxins.
I don't bury tyres in the soil.

Back to the trash...I also collect used takeaway coffee cups for my tomato seedlings-I sell or donate hundreds every season.
10 litre plastic paint buckets rock!
As do plastic icecream containers

Circular saw with a metal cutting blade works every time!

Meryt Helmer wrote:I am currently collecting pretty glass bottles to use in building a shelter for ducks. so I guess that is another thing I will be reusing. that and the bicycle wheels I plan to get more and build some trellises and arbores out of them. I really love how bicycle parts look. maybe i should contact some shops and ask them if they get any bicycle frames in that are no longer safe for riding on and I could use those in some nice trellises as well!

Ah you've reminded me that I'm saving all of my wine bottles to make a hot bed.

I've also got windows from my work and my house I'm going to use to make my green house!