The Wool Pot is a business created by local chef and T.V. personality Nadia Lim and NZ wool advocate Polly McGuckin as a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to regular plastic plant pots.
Aotearoa alone produces 350 million plants in plastic pots are produced each year and The Wool Pot is offering an alternative that is sourced from locally grown wool and is 100% biodegradable.
Co-founder Polly McGuckin told REX host Dominic George that not only are their pots 100% biodegradable, but they also provide the plant with extra nutrients to help it grow.
"Wool itself is actually a natural fertiliser in the soil," she said.
"It has six natural fertilisers, it has nitrogen, sulphur, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and calcium."
McGluckin said when they tested a courgette plant in one of their wool pots compared to a regular plastic pot, once the wool pot was buried, the courgette grew to be double the size of the courgette in the plastic pot.
"We've had other gardeners reach out to say it's amazing the amount of growth it has provided for their plants."
Plastic pots can only be recycled 2 to 3 times before the plastic begins to deteriorate, which will cause build-up in landfills and rubbish tips.
McGluckin told George that not only is the pot a more sustainable product compared to plastic pots but it also provides another use for wool fibres that are abundant across Aotearoa.
"Not just for the wool fibre but actually for the environment, it could be a game changer for cleaning up the industry.
"It's not just the (main) part of the fleece, it's the oddments, so it's another use for the whole fleece."
She said being able to utilise the less valuable parts of sheep's wool will provide additional opportunities for Kiwi farmers and further enhance one of New Zealand's strongest industries.
"We need to look for lots of ways of using the whole fleece, not just the actual main part of the fleece."
McGuckin told George the wool industry was once the backbone of Aotearoa and she hopes the next generation can come through and see it as a viable and attractive career path, to continue the success it has seen in previous years.
Listen to the full chat between The Wool Pot Co-founder Polly McGluckin and Dominic George above.
To check out more episodes listen to the REX Today Podcast anytime on your favourite streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and Rova or tune in to REX Today live on Magic from 5 am to 6 am every weekday.
Visit the Rural Exchange Facebook or Instagram page for more information and regular updates from the REX team.
