Gray water (also known as sullage) can be used for irrigating plants, veggies, and fruit as long as the edible part of the plant remains untouched by it. This is important since water from dishwashers and washing machines can contain chlorine, salt, and grease, affecting it. Using gray water for irrigation has several benefits, including saving water and ensuring less contaminated water pollutes the local water bodies.
Designer Gal Kuflik has developed a planter, dubbed ‘Grow,’ that uses water from household facilities to grow plants. Grow is a hydroponic system that nurtures plants, herbs, and veggies using water from toilets, dishwashers, and washing machines. The designer’s intention behind his design is to offer home gardeners a more conscious and convenient way to water their plants.
The only downfall about Grow’s system is that it doesn’t sound like it uses gray water. From how it’s presented – when the water is flushed, freshwater coming into the tank is first pulled by the planter for irrigation, and then it goes back to the flush. This means Grow uses freshwater. This is acceptable for those who want a convenient planter that waters itself, but not for the environmentalists who want an eco-friendly planter.
We have seen some interesting indoor/home hydroponic systems, planters, and micro-gardens this past year, including ‘Eva’ – the hydroponic planter/aquarium that takes care of itself, KAGURA and the Sustainable Family Farm, ‘Tablefarm’ – the tabletop garden that grows your microgreens for you, and Solace – a circular micro-garden.
