Potting Cup

Trowels are narrow, spill soil over the edge of the pot and need a firm grip. For gardeners with arthritis or hand pain, that grip is the hard part.

Gardening strains the hands. Many gardening tasks need repetitive gripping and twisting, which can make joint pain worse. Traditional tools like trowels need a tight grip and careful wrist control, which puts strain on finger joints.

Ergonomic tools reduce pain. Lighter tools with an easier grip reduce stress on the joints, so people with arthritis can keep gardening for longer with less discomfort.

Gardening should be accessible to everyone. Good design can make everyday tasks easier and more comfortable.

Ethan Charalambous

The cup scoops straight from the compost bag with a raised, curved lip so it pours without spilling. Flipped over, the base presses and levels the soil.

Side handles were sized so most hands can hold it comfortably, and it holds over half a litre so you refill less often.

I printed it in bright orange so it is easy to spot in a flowerbed.

Potting Cup is designed to be made from recycled ocean plastic, similar to the material used by Ocean Plastic Pots, which turns fishing ropes and nets collected from UK coastlines and harbours into plant pots. Every cup would take plastic out of the sea and avoid using new, virgin plastic.

Because the cup is one single plastic part, with no metal, rubber grips or glued pieces, it can go further than recycled. At the end of its life it can be melted down and moulded into a new cup, again and again. That turns it into a circular design: the material stays in use instead of ending up in landfill or back in the ocean.