Some recycled materials that are being used to make new garden products:

-Plastics: Drink bottles are being converted into everything from fleece pullovers to garden gloves to lightweight tubs. Plastic pots, cell-packs, garden trays, hanging baskets and mulch bags are being remade into lumber for decking and outdoor furniture. Recycled plastic also is the stuff of rain barrels and composters.

-Rubber: Worn tires can be shredded and turned into kid-friendly playground surfaces, drizzler hoses and walkway edging. Crumb rubber also can be made over into long-lasting mulch.

-Glass: Discarded glass is being ground into powder and reshaped into pebbles to help retain water in plant containers, saving lots of potting soil in the process.

-Organic materials: Grain husks, reclaimed paper and composted cow manure are replacing plastic for use as durable and decomposable pots. Use them for sprouting seeds, then drop the whole bundle into the ground, eliminating transplanting.

-Solar: Solar lighting technology is improving rapidly, along with lamp styles and running time. Solar lights can be placed along walkways, driveways or flowerbeds. There are no switches to throw at dawn or dusk and no light bills. Simply wait for the sun to shine.