Fish boxes recycled

thanks for this! with the information on the photo, it's pretty much a complete how-to

I have managed to copy the instructions in the photo and paste in at the end of this blog. I look forward to seeing your finished boxes.

bless you! many thanks, that'll save me changing screens.

*s* don't hold your breath, though - I really should work on "needs to be done" in rotation before I start going off at tandents - it's because I've done so much of that that I've got so many things that "need to be done" now!

You are not alone.LOL.

That is largely how we make our fish box troughs, Scotsgran, don't they look good. You have an impressive number of polystyrene boxes in the pictures, where do you get them from. We used to get from the Tesco fish counter but they now use hard plastic which cleaned and re-used.

I scrounged two from the pile of rubbish outside our local mini-supermarket.

I was trying to find a way to use them as moulds, and re-use them; then I could make as many as I needed or wanted.

The only "recipes" I've found are to put chicken wire around the outside for strength, then put Hypertufa inside and out.

I was wondering if I could put the box in a plastic sack, mould the chicken wire and Hytertufa the outside, then remove the box (probably leaving the sack behind) and then do the inside.

I've never done anything like this before, so I'm not too sure about it - all the "recipes" call for Portland cement, which has several safety notes attached to it. I don't know why Portland cement rather than any other type. I've seen packs of ready-mix, just-add-water concrete, but don't know if they'd be any good.

*s* probably only one way for me to find out, unless someone in GoY is a concrete expert (which wouldn't surprise me, GoYers cover the whole spectrum of practical skills)

There is another way of using fish boxes to make hyper-tufa troughs but it won't preserve your box. Instead of the wire netting make a large number of medium sized holes in all four walls and the base of the fish box and apply your cement so that it connects the inside and outside walls of the trough.

ok, ta. hmm, I have some plastic trays, actually cat-litter boxes that I've been using to stand plants in. I can practice on them - they're easy enough to buy!

Do you go in to Elgin BB or Inverness, Asda do still use the polystyrene boxes. Local fishmongers, even hotels will probably get their fish in polystyrene boxes and they have to pay to get rid of them. What about fish and chip shops. Up your way they will not be using frozen fish. I get mine from the cash and carry but I know there is not one near you.

http://www.jbpackaging.co.uk/produce-box.html will sell you new boxes. Have a look at the link above.
http://www.peterheadbox.co.uk/polystyrene-products/ This is another link but they do not quote prices.

I found a couple more boxes that I'd forgotten about - I save all the polystyrene boxes that some goods come packed in. fpr "one day it'll come in handy". lol don't often go to the back of the top shelf in the cupboard!

Some of these have contoured interiors, bowl-shaped or stepped; think I was thinking of using them as moulds to make plaster casts. But I suppose I can [carefully!] hollow them out and they'll do for mini-beds

lol Scotsgran, old principle: if you have to ask the price you can't afford it! I've saved both links, thanks for them, doubt I'll have space for the minimum they sell, but it can go under "one day etc"

hmm, might it be worth asking if they have seconds? slight defects that mean they can't be used for the intended purpose, but still ok for ours?

Thanks for the hint about Asda, Scotsgran. I will check them out next time we are in Elgin.

Franl you can only ask but I would think it wouldbe more hassle than it would be worth for them. The first quoted link are offering boxes from £!3 for 10 but as I did not try to order it may be plus vat and plus postage. If that is all they cost it would be worth buying new as there would be no fishy smells. BB make sure you always carry black bin bags with you to put any boxes in as they can be a bit whiffy even if they have been washed out by the shop. Might be worth phoning ahead of a visit. Sainsburys were happy to let me have what they had but I could have had more if I had known when their deliveries were due in and when they were most likely to have boxes available. Our shop said Wednesday am but I was never in the shop on a Wednesday and too far to make a special trip.

Sainsburys as well? We have a new one opening in August and its only five miles away. At last - a decent supermarket, supermarket price petrol and fish boxes as a bonus :-)

Well done on making adaptations to your garden while you are under stress from the unwelcome building work.
The boxes are fascinating :o)

Added this blog to Privacy Ideas and Sedums.

and the bought bpxes come with the option of drainage holes already. saves some work there!

You look like you could be on to a winner Bb. You will have heard of sedum living roofs Terra, this is just a variation on the theme. I was not aware of the bought boxes coming with ready made drainage holes Franl. Which site was that on?

I checked the first site you gave, Scotsgran - the one that showed the prices, lol - and flicked thorugh various sections, then went back to "polystyrrene boxes" and got the main page, all measurements, and I think it said there that they came with or without perforations.

just grabbed your link again and had another look; yep! under the clickable categories is a list of all, and between the two is the "holey" option

http://www.jbpackaging.co.uk/polystyrene-boxes.html

Thanks for that. Some of the ones I get do come with holes along the bottom of the short sides but I still put a couple of holes in the floor. I also rest the boxes on pieces of slate to allow excess water to drain away but not high enough to get caught by the wind. I'm looking forward to seeing lots more recycled fish boxes around in future.

I was thinking, that if I ever got round to trying Hypertufa, of putting some ridges on the bottom so that hte box wouldn't stand slightly proud of the surface and not sit in a puddle.

I've got my tubs standing on gravel in trays, but, wtih the amount of rain we've had here recently, I've had to go and bale them out, so I need to rethink that - or at least get trays that I can fill to the brim with gravel so the pots will stand above the water level