Who We Are / Contact

We are a small eco-craft company based in Suffolk. The idea for our kits grew from a project that our founder (Julian) was doing as part of an end of year project for an MSc in Engineering with the Open University. The general theme was to come up with a product idea based around the recycling/reuse of household waste.  Julian knew that he was due to do the weekly "walk of shame" and so the opportunity to reduce the number of wine bottles to be taken to the bottle bank was very appealing.

Julian was already well versed in the field of hydroponics, first being introduced to the related "aquaponics" during his studies for a degree in Applied Marine Biology.  Having completed the project Julian made the decision to look into the practicality of making and selling the kits for real, and so the journey began.

 We have done our absolute best to ensure that the Hydro-herb kits we make are as environmentally sound as they can be.  We source our parts carefully trying to ensure that we have as small a carbon footprint as possible.  All of the parts in our kit are either recycled and recyclable or entirely biodegradable. 

The wine bottles that form the largest part of our kit are obviously reused rather than recycled locally minimising any carbon production from melting the glass down or transport.  We use capillary matting that is recycled and the plastic bottles in our kit are also made from recycled plastic that may itself be recycled. The Jiffy Pellets that we use are made of coir (ground coconut husk) rather than peat, so that we are not contributing to the reduction of peat bogs. The cork lid/place mat comes from renewable sources in Europe as do the natural rubber band. The terracotta pebbles used in the kit along with the cork and natural rubber band are all biodegradable.  

Each kit contains all the parts you need to grow your chosen herb from seed, just follow the instructions and within 7 to 10 days you'll notice the seeds begin to germinate.  Remember these plants need light to grow, more light equals more rapid growth ( you could also try giving them a few extra drops of nutrient solution to really give them some 'pep'.  Although the diffferent herbs grow at different rates within 7- 8 weeks given enough light you should find they are ready for you to pick some leaves off and use them in your cooking.  Continue like this and the plants should give you months of steady growth. There is enough solution to last you around two years.

For two years now we have partnered with Ecologi, a well established and highly regarded company specialising in offsetting carbon through the planting of seedlings at various locations around the world. Every single purchase from us pays for the planting and importantly the maintenance of a sapling that is then allowed to grow to maturity.  Please take a moment to visit their website at www.ecologi.com to see the great work that they do.