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4000
avocado pips collected from local cafes
80
% of avocado pips found new homes
5
partnered cafes providing regular waste streams
1
Reduced demand for imported houseplants
Project Proposed Impact
Project Summary:
Home Wilding transformed food waste into living green connections during lockdown, showing that even small actions at home can rewild lives. Over six months, the project collected 4,000+ discarded avocado pips from 5 partner cafes across Sheffield and Rotherham, nurturing them into indoor houseplants.
This Included:
With limited access to the outdoors during lockdown, participants found joy and reconnection by growing these plants on windowsills, making nature part of everyday home life. By turning food waste into green life, the initiative also reduced demand for imported houseplants, demonstrating that environmental action and wellbeing can start in the home.
“This project wasn’t just about plants—it was about reconnecting people to nature, even when the outdoors felt far away.” – Amy Alexandra Marsden Founder of NPLB
Why It Matters
Indoor plants boost wellbeing, reduce stress, and increase connection to nature during isolation (Royal Horticultural Society, 2020)
Houseplants are often imported, creating carbon footprints; local avocado pip propagation reduces demand (Houseplant Society, 2021)
Food waste is a global challenge: over 1/3 of food produced is wasted, much of it ending in landfill (FAO, 2022)
Lockdowns caused increased disconnection from nature, highlighting the importance of accessible green experiences at home (Natural England, 2021)
The Story behind the Seeds:
Everyday Nature Connection
Growing avocado plants allowed participants to care for living things daily, fostering small but meaningful interactions with nature from home.
Grassroot Action
Collecting discarded avocado pips and sprouting them is low-cost, repeatable, and scalable, proving that even small household projects can have meaningful environmental and social impac
Youth Led Change
Young volunteers coordinated pip collection, propagation, and distribution, learning horticulture skills and circular economy practices while inspiring others to grow at home.
Deep Human Connection
The project created a sense of shared participation, linking communities through cafes, social media updates, and plant adoption networks.