this post was submitted on 01 Jun 2026
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Large safe material plant pots (discuss.tchncs.de)
submitted 1 day ago by Rolive@discuss.tchncs.de to c/gardening@lemmy.world
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I want to start a DWC hydroponics system on my balcony but have concerns about the safety of the plant containers.

The first idea was to use plastic sauce buckets from the local snackbar. They're a waste product and you can easily get a large stack of 10L buckets for free just by asking. They're initially food safe material and all you have to do is wash out the sauce residue.

The problem is though that this food safety won't last long in sunlight. The plastic will inevitably break down and release contaminants into the plant water and therefore will also end up in whatever vegetables that are growing in it.

I have considered getting other materials, such as glass vases or perhaps stoneware. Both are heavy and anything large enough is also quite expensive. Weight is a consideration as well on a balcony.

Another option would be to cover the plastic buckets with some plate material with a few holes in it for the plants.

Am I overthinking this? I'm trying to avoid plastic whenever possible but with the right precautions it shouldn't be that bad.

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[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

They’re initially food safe material and all you have to do is wash out the sauce residue. The problem is though that this food safety won’t last long in sunlight.

I mean those seem like a good resource, but you are also talking about a small balcony garden. It might be fine. But you are probably only going to be building a small system regardless. And at the end of the day, the buckets or whatever else you are growing in, its only going to a small part of a larger overall budget. It might be worth looking into a kit and getting a system that "just works" so you can have a higher chance of success starting out?

You might look at some of these systems for inspiration. Granted they are aquaponics but its not going to be that different in a pure hydroponics set up.

https://www.waiaholenursery.com/backyard-aquaponic-systems.html

I think one of these could easily fit onto one side of a balcony.

I’m trying to avoid plastic whenever possible

I mean you are intending to grow in a pretty contrived, artificial, engineered system. Its just.. It seems like mixed motivations here. Like, either you want to grow in a more organic, less constructed system (like in ground beds or furrows) or you can't? Like, there are other ways for to grow food that just start out at a much less baseline level of plastics (just having some plants in terracotta pots for example). And like, if you no like plastics, thats fine, but like, maybe hydroponics isn't something you want to do then. Its basically gardening with plastic. Which I don't think is a problem. I couldn't garden without plastics, or at least, I'd have to put in thousands more hours into weeding or I'd have to spray. Most commercial growers have to make the same choice, between plastics and spraying.