The summer months are a wonderful time to go exploring unknown parts of the world, but traveling for weeks on end means certain death for most house plants, until now. A team of plant-loving engineers have designed an innovative self-watering plant pot. POTR Pots are flat pack plant pots designed to self-water plants and are made from 100% recycled materials.

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four small plants in semi-transparent pots

POTR Pots were invented by Scottish designers, Andrew Flynn and Martin Keane, who happen to also be serious plant lovers. According to Flynn and Keane, who have just recently kicked off a Kickstarter campaign featuring their innovative design, the prototype is the plant pot for the 21st century.

a chart showing different pot sizes

a green plant in a semi-transparent pot

Related: Recycling can get kids free books in southern Italy

The team embarked on their invention by creating an eco-friendly design using 100% recycled materials, which can be recycled at the end of the pots’ life span. All of the materials used in the design, mainly recycled polypropylene, were sourced from nearby locations to reduce the project’s overall carbon footprint.

two plants in  two semi-transparent pots

Using recycled polypropylene means that the pots are not only eco-friendly, but incredibly flexible and durable. The pots won’t break into a million bits like regular clay pots if dropped.

a chart showing different pot sizes

Additionally, the material allows for folding origami hinges, which enable the product to be flat-packed. To open the pots, just pull on the Bobbiny recycled cotton cord and the pot is ready for use. Before adding in the plant itself, two ends of the cord must be looped under the inner pot stand and  inserted into the plant’s soil. The cotton cord allows the plant to suck up water when thirsty.

environmental chart of POTR Pots

Besides being incredibly practical and user-friendly, the pots, which come in various sizes, are incredibly eco-friendly. According to the designers, the POTR pots have almost 100 times less CO2 than clay or concrete plant pots, due to the use of recycled materials as well as the flat-pack design which reduces transport costs.

+ POTR Pots


Images via POTR Pots