7 Eco-Friendly Planters & Pots That Will Ex-Seed Your Gardening ExpectationsImages by LIKHÂ#ecofriendlyplanters #ecofriendlyplantpots #ecofriendlypots #ecoplanters #ecoplantpots #sustainableplanters #sustainablejungle
Images by LIKHÂ
7 Eco-Friendly Planters & Pots That Will Ex-Seed Your Gardening ExpectationsImage by Amalue Leith#ecofriendlyplanters #ecofriendlyplantpots #ecofriendlypots #ecoplanters #ecoplantpots #sustainableplanters #sustainablejungle
Image by Amalue Leith

7 Eco-Friendly Planters & Pots That Will Ex-Seed Your Gardening Expectations

Molly Willows


Looking to pot that lush little fuchsia bush you just bought from your local plant shop?

By moving it out of that plastic bucket and into plastic-free and eco-friendly planters, you can really accentuate the beauty of any plant.

We won’t leave you hanging (basket).

From clay to cork to upcycled wine barrels to woven grass, let’s get growing with our sustainable plant pot list.

To avoid waste, we test products on an as needed basis. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about why we do this here.

A Peak At Our Favorite Eco Planters & Pots

Take a look at LIKHÂ. Tongue-twister aside, we love this fair trade brand’s Filipino-crafted organic home decor that’s as all-natural as it is beautiful. Herb your enthusiasm with their gorgeously woven eco pots. 

For something a little more understated and durable, The Citizenry‘s stoneware natural pots will give your house full of plants a modern look.

Root your way down to the bottom of this article for some fruit for thought about how we chose the best eco planters.

The Full List Of Eco-Friendly Planter Manufacturers


1. LIKHA

7 Eco-Friendly Planters & Pots That Will Ex-Seed Your Gardening Expectations Images by LIKHÂ #ecofriendlyplanters #ecofriendlyplantpots #ecofriendlypots #ecoplanters #ecoplantpots #sustainableplanters #sustainablejungle
Images by LIKHÂ

About LIKHÂ

Price Range: $45–$70

LIKHÂ creates fair trade, modern Filipino crafts and home decor pieces made with natural materials that are byproducts from the agriculture industry. 

By partnering with artisans in the Philippines, they provide dignified work that supports traditional crafts. LIKHÂ works with WFTO-certified partners, and the sustainable home decor brand will soon become Fair Trade certified.

We love their lightweight plant pots woven in the shapes of animals—especially the Elephant Plant Pot that we can’t wait to pack-yderm with our favorite succulents.

LIKHÂ’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Materials: 

All natural and sustainable materials are exclusively used for their eco planter pots, like woven organic coco coir, natural rattan, or hemp. 

Supply chain & labor practices: 

LIKHÂ works with Filipino artisan partners, most of whom make 25% about living wage. Having recently onboarded new partners, they are currently reviewing their new artisans’ wages to verify this holds true for them as well.

Additionally, as members of the non-profit Nest Artisan Guild, LIKHA commits to empowering small artisan communities in alignment with the UN’s SDGs.

Carbon commitments & green practices:

A low carbon footprint is achieved by using repurposed materials from the agriculture sector. 

Community & charitable giving:

The company is a social enterprise that supports and empowers its workforce to transform communities out of poverty.


2. KAZI

7 Eco-Friendly Planters & Pots That Will Ex-Seed Your Gardening Expectations Images by KAZI #ecofriendlyplanters #ecofriendlyplantpots #ecofriendlypots #ecoplanters #ecoplantpots #sustainableplanters #sustainablejungle
Images by KAZI

About KAZI

Price Range: $40–$120

KAZI means “employment” in Swahili and their beautiful indoor planters are created with the goal of alleviating poverty in Africa, where they are made. 

The brand sources local materials native to Africa that are easily available to their artisans.

While they have a wide range of handwoven eco-friendly flower pots and hanging baskets, we especially love the Fringed Raffia Planter, with its asymmetrical design and added touched of texture by its natural grass fringe.

KAZI’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Materials: 

KAZI’s eco-friendly hanging planters and other biodegradable pots are exclusively crafted from 100% natural raffia, sweet grass, and sisal and colored with food-safe natural dyes.

You safely rip them and toss them in the compost to be made into soil for your ecological garden.

Supply chain & labor practices: 

As members of the Fair Trade Federation, KAZI implements fair trade practices across their organization. They pay fair living wages and also reinvest money to support and train artisans. 

Carbon commitments & green practices: 

The brand only uses responsibly harvested plant fibers that are native to regions where artisans craft goods. 

Community & charitable giving: 

KAZI uses its profits to expand their artisans’ development through workshops like training rural farmers to become artisans and teaching existing craftspeople new weaving techniques.


3. The Citizenry

7 Eco-Friendly Planters & Pots That Will Ex-Seed Your Gardening Expectations Images by The Citizenry #ecofriendlyplanters #ecofriendlyplantpots #ecofriendlypots #ecoplanters #ecoplantpots #sustainableplanters #sustainablejungle
Images by The Citizenry

About The Citizenry

Price Range: $65–$300

Be a citizen of the world and shop The Citizenry for globally inspired home decor and decorative environmentally friendly planters made with artisans speckled across the globe. 

Handcrafted in Mexico, we especially adore their splurge-worthy and architecturally stylish Cantaro Pots, which are crafted from burnished clay and set on a black steel base. Each pot takes three whole weeks to make! 

The Citizenry’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Materials: 

The Citizenry’s sustainable plant pots are crafted from eco-friendly materials like tikal wood, clay, ceramic, or glass. 

Supply chain & labor practices:

The Citizenry’s items are all ethically made in artisan workshops across Japan, Mexico, India, and a number of African countries. All fair trade practices are audited by the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO).

The Citizenry pays 2x the fair trade wage requirements, plus they offer entrepreneurship grants to help artisans grow their small businesses. 

Carbon commitments & green practices:

In contrast to fast-decor giants like Ikea or Target, The Citizenry is of the “slow fashion” mindset, creating limited run, handcrafted items with the hope of supporting communities and sustainability worldwide.

Community & charitable giving:

10% of all company profits are invested back into the artisan communities they work with.


4. Amalue Leith

7 Eco-Friendly Planters & Pots That Will Ex-Seed Your Gardening Expectations Images by Amalue Leith #ecofriendlyplanters #ecofriendlyplantpots #ecofriendlypots #ecoplanters #ecoplantpots #sustainableplanters #sustainablejungle
Images by Amalue Leith

About Amalue Leith

Price Range: $24–$58

Add a pop of color to your eco-friendly plant pot collection from Spanish maker Amalue Leith

You can help keep plastic waste out of our oceans with a sustainable indoor plant pot made from recycled marine plastic hand-painted with all kinds of whimsical designs and patterns, ranging from geometric shapes to shibori tie dye-inspired designs.

We personally love the idea of plants popping up a plant painted with this quirky minimalist poppy design.

Add a note at checkout if you would like holes drilled for drainage. 

Amalue Leith’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Materials:

Amalue Leith’s eco-friendly planter pots are made from recycled plastic, and some are made from recycled ocean plastic. The durable pots are 100% recyclable, too. 

Supply chain & labor practices:

We’re not sure where Amalue sources the recycled pots, but she paints all the designs herself using high-quality materials. Stay tuned for more info.

Carbon commitments & green practices:

Etsy carbon offsets all shipping of items sold through their renewable energy-powered platform.


5. Bergs Potter

7 Eco-Friendly Planters & Pots That Will Ex-Seed Your Gardening Expectations Images by Bergs Potter #ecofriendlyplanters #ecofriendlyplantpots #ecofriendlypots #ecoplanters #ecoplantpots #sustainableplanters #sustainablejungle
Images by Bergs Potter

About Bergs Potter

Price Range: $25–$200

Since 1942, Bergs Potter has provided exquisite terracotta pots made in Italy, designed in Denmark, and created to last with both indoor and outdoor use.

Each natural plant pot by Bergs Potter feature the perfect drainage hole design to give roots room to breathe, and their superior clay construction absorbs excess water to maintain the moisture your plants require. 

We especially love the Julie Pot 021 for its warm terracotta color, superb craftsmanship, simplicity, and elegance. 

Bergs Potter’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Materials:

Planters are exclusively from sustainably sourced Tuscan Galestro clay, famous for its terracotta hue and durability.

Supply chain & labor practices:

Bergs Potter continues to work with the same family-owned clay workshop in Italy and helps uphold the Tuscany region’s ancient pottery crafting practices.

Their commitment to quality, heritage craftsmanship is at the core of their respect for workers, customers, and the planet.


6. Wilder Island

7 Eco-Friendly Planters & Pots That Will Ex-Seed Your Gardening Expectations Images by Wilder Island #ecofriendlyplanters #ecofriendlyplantpots #ecofriendlypots #ecoplanters #ecoplantpots #sustainableplanters #sustainablejungle
Images by Wilder Island

About Wilder Island

Price Range: $50–$100

Wilder Island is an Etsy-based shop that provides sustainable upcycled home decor and large eco-friendly garden planters ideal for outdoor use.

After observing how many materials go unused from construction sites, founder Anthony Wilder contacted home builders to turn these scraps into eco pots for plants.

The store offers a wide range of handmade wooden planters, like the XL Big Cross Buck Planter, available in four different colors. 

Wilder Island’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Materials: 

All materials used are natural, upcycled wood and/or glass. 

Supply chain & labor practices:

Wilder Island repurposes salvages materials from local construction and industrial sites.

Everything is sourced and handcrafted by the company’s founder, Anthony, at his workshop in North Carolina.


7. VivaTerra

7 Eco-Friendly Planters & Pots That Will Ex-Seed Your Gardening Expectations Images by Vivaterra #ecofriendlyplanters #ecofriendlyplantpots #ecofriendlypots #ecoplanters #ecoplantpots #sustainableplanters #sustainablejungle
Images by Vivaterra

About VivaTerra

Price Range: $20–$400

Love the earth with VivaTerra’s impressive range of both sustainable indoor plant pots and eco-friendly outdoor planters. 

Everything the brand sells is sourced from a sizable network of global artisans, with styles and offerings ranging from the adorably unique Ceramic Koi Fish wall hanging planter to the rustic, repurposed Wine Barrel Planters.

VivaTerra’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Materials:

VivaTerra offers countless options from many sustainable brands, so the planter materials used are vast, with most being eco-friendly, recyclable, or compostable. 

Common materials include ceramic clay, natural rocks, glass, recycled metal, reclaimed or responsibly sourced woods (like old wine barrels), recyclable metals like brass, or woven grass biodegradable planters.

Supply chain & labor practices:

VivaTerra is vetted for strict ethical criteria and fair trade practices as an official Good Trade partner.

Carbon commitments & green practices:

Customers have the option of “climate-friendly shipping” for just $1 at checkout. Carbon offsets are done in partnership with TerraPass.

Community & charitable giving:

VivaTerra features the VivaHeart program, to help make a positive impact on the planet with organizations that help alleviate hunger and conserve the environment.


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What To Do With Old Plant Pots

Especially when it comes to outdoor pots, weathering can occur and pots inevitably break.

Fortunately, there are numerous uses for plant pots that don’t involve permanently planting them in a landfill:

  • Fix it! Silicone cake or cement adhesive can create the watertight seal needed to make minor broken pots like new.
  • Learn how to make eco-friendly planters from old broken pots, like making a mosaic pot using broken clay or terracotta pieces.
  • Turn the pot on its side for a “wabi sabi” inspired planter.
  • Use old broken pieces in the bottom of an eco pot for extra drainage.
  • Use pieces with succulents to create a small succulent garden… or better yet, a fairy garden.
  • Incorporate terracotta and clay pieces into your eco-friendly landscaping.
  • Use terracotta for mulching.

As for nursery pots (as in, the small plastic seedling pots most garden centers sell plant starts in), turn those environmental nightmares into more eco-friendly nursery pots with these tips:

  • Return them to a local greenhouse or nursery for reuse.
  • Save them for seeding your own garden next year.
  • Use to shake up and disperse plant fertilizer or to scoop soil
  • Turn the entire pot upside down and repurpose as a lightweight filler for the bottom of your eco-friendly pot

How We Found The Most Sustainable Planters

What are the most eco-friendly plant pots, and why do they (plant) matter?

Sustainable gardening is crucial, given the world already has a scourge of plastic waste and chemical pollution to contend with.

Up to 90% of microplastics remain in sewage sludge, for example, which is then often used with fertilizer for agriculture. This only adds to the microplastic crisis that harms humans, animals, aquatic life, and ecosystems. 

To keep the “eco” in “garden decoration,” we looked for the following in our environmentally-friendly pots.

Materials:

Wondering, “What can I use instead of plastic plant pots?”

Natural, renewable, and/or repurposed materials, like reclaimed wood or the very least recycled plastic. Of the earth, for the earth.

If wood is used, we like reclaimed wood and/or that with sustainable forestry certifications, like Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) also help to ensure materials are sustainably harvested. 

Supply chain & labor practices:

Here, we’re looking for transparent, ethical, fair trade, supply chains and at least a living wage for artisans or workers, ideally backed by manufacturing certifications which help grow our faith that companies aren’t greenwashing our green gardening efforts.

Carbon commitments & green practices:

Traditional artisanal practices tend to have a lower impact on the environment, which get greener still when couples with localized manufacturing, carbon offseting, and sustainable shipping materials.

Community & charitable giving:

Some brands we feature are simply too small for this, but we love to garden with items that also give back to our local and global communities.


Final Thoughts On Eco Planters

Eat, drink, and be rosemary with the best eco-friendly plant pots out there! 

Gardening is meant to spread love, so ditch the plastic pots and opt for natural or recycled plant pots (and any other garden recycling ideas) to elevate your garden green-thumb. 

Any one of these planters (or these growing kits) is sure to turnip the volume of your outdoor garden or house plant collection. 

So please, don’t moss around: help your friends and family make their gardens plastic-free and a bit more sustainable by sharing this article.

Pin these:
7 Eco-Friendly Planters & Pots That Will Ex-Seed Your Gardening Expectations Image by Bergs Potter #ecofriendlyplanters #ecofriendlyplantpots #ecofriendlypots #ecoplanters #ecoplantpots #sustainableplanters #sustainablejungle
7 Eco-Friendly Planters & Pots That Will Ex-Seed Your Gardening Expectations Image by Vivaterra #ecofriendlyplanters #ecofriendlyplantpots #ecofriendlypots #ecoplanters #ecoplantpots #sustainableplanters #sustainablejungle

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