Flat-pack self-watering POTR Pot

The POTR Pot began with a simple but surprising discovery. After receiving several broken plant pots through the post, POTR Co-founder Andrew used his engineering background to conduct a carbon footprint analysis of a traditional planter. What he uncovered became the brand’s light-bulb moment: up to 20% of a planter’s total carbon footprint comes from shipping alone.
The reason? We are transporting a large, heavy, fragile volume of air - a shape that demands excess protective packaging, takes up disproportionate space in transit, and breaks all too easily.

This sparked a question that changed everything:
What would the carbon footprint be if a plant pot could fit inside an envelope?

Re-running the analysis with a flat-packed concept showed the potential to reduce carbon emissions by over 100 times, simply by eliminating wasted volume and weight. That insight led the POTR team to study origami and develop a completely new approach to a very old product category.
The flat-pack, self-assembly POTR Pot was born.

Made from 0.5mm recycled polypropylene sheet - sourced from post-consumer and post-industrial waste - the POTR Pot uses up to 95% less material than traditional planters, which are often moulded from bulky 10mm plastics. The difference is immediately noticeable: a POTR Pot weighs around 100g, compared to the 2kg weight of a typical ceramic pot. This radical material reduction not only conserves resources but also keeps valuable plastic out of landfill, contributing to a circular design economy.

But the innovation doesn’t stop at sustainability. Understanding that many people lack confidence in plant care, POTR integrated a self-watering system into the design. A reservoir at the pot’s base, combined with a capillary-action wicking cord, ensures plants receive the right amount of water over time - supporting busy lifestyles, improving plant health, and reducing the waste associated with premature plant loss.

The result is a product that is thoughtfully engineered, planet-positive, and delightfully practical.
Flat-packed, the pot slips through a standard UK letterbox for effortless delivery and efficient retail storage. Once assembled, it becomes a beautiful, origami-inspired planter that empowers even the most novice plant parent.

The POTR Pot reimagines the humble plant pot from the ground up - transforming a high-impact everyday object into a lightweight, low-carbon, design-led solution for modern homes. It is proof that by questioning the obvious, meaningful innovation follows.

The combination of thoughtful engineering and planet-positive design has earned POTR major recognition, including RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s Sustainable Product of the Year 2024 and Sustainable Business of the Year 2025.