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Updated: 9 May 2022

Best plastic-free plant labels

We tested 21 different plant labels in a range of materials to find the best alternatives to plastic

Ceri Thomas

In this article

Best Buy plastic-free plant labels
Full results for plastic-free plant labels
Other label materials
How we test plastic-free labels

Labelling your plants is an essential part of gardening, whether you’re sowing seeds, potting up bulbs or planting a prized specimen shrub outdoors.

We’re all used to the standard plastic stick labels that come in a variety of colours and, while these can sometimes be used again (once the writing has been cleaned off with white spirit or WD-40), they often snap or get lost in the garden.

You can buy labels made from a range of alternative materials. So next time you need to get new labels, why not try some that aren’t made from plastic?

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Best Buy plastic-free plant labels

Product	What we found
	These aluminium labels are designed to be used with an HB pencil or a solid graphite pencil. They looked as good as new at the end of our trial, with no deterioration in the legibility of our writing or the labels themselves. They get five stars for reusability; writing can be removed with a rubber within a year – after that it becomes permanent. This size is ideal for discreet labelling of plants in the ground, but they are available in other sizes, and they can all be recycled.
	Of the three makes of slate labels we tried, we liked these ones best, with one proviso. The labels are supplied with a white paint marker that smelled unpleasant and was too thick to write neatly with. But used with the Edding780 CR Gloss gold paint marker, they make a very stylish and durable label. They’re a decent size (20cm), looked good throughout the trial, and the gold pen cleaned off well with WD-40, ready for reuse. The supplied white pen didn’t all come off, which made new writing less legible.
	These labels are 10cm long, so just the right size for labelling seed trays and pots. They’re easy to write on with an HB pencil or a solid graphite pencil. The writing didn’t fade during the trial, and the labels themselves looked as good as new at the end of the test. A quick swipe with a rubber takes the pencil off (as long as you do it within a year, after which it can’t be removed), leaving the labels ready to reuse.

Full results for plastic-free plant labels

For outdoors

Product	Best Buy	Ease of use	Initial legibility	Fading	Durability	Reusability	Overall rating
	Yes	*****	*****	*****	*****	*****	*****
	Yes	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	*****
		★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★★☆
		★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆
		★★★☆☆	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆	★★☆☆☆	★★★☆☆
		★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★☆☆☆☆	★★★☆☆
		★★★★★	★★★★★	★★☆☆☆	★★☆☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆

★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★☆☆☆
★★★☆☆	★★☆☆☆	★★★★☆	★★☆☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★☆☆☆
★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★☆☆☆	★★☆☆☆

For use in the greenhouse

Product	Best Buy	Ease of use	Initial legibility	Fading	Durability	Reusability	Overall rating
	Yes	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★
		★★★☆☆	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆
		★★★☆☆	★★☆☆☆	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆	★☆☆☆☆	★★★☆☆
		★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★☆☆☆☆	★☆☆☆☆	★★★☆☆
		★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆	★★☆☆☆	★★★☆☆
		★★★★☆	★★★☆☆	★★★★☆	★☆☆☆☆	★☆☆☆☆	★★☆☆☆
		★★★★☆	★★★☆☆	★★☆☆☆	★☆☆☆☆	★☆☆☆☆	★★☆☆☆

Other label materials

We tested outdoor labels made from a range of other materials including solid bamboo, blackboard-painted wood and zinc. The bamboo and wood had begun to rot after six months, but they would do the job if you don’t need anything permanent. They’re still a better option than brand new plastic, as they will eventually biodegrade. The zinc labels are recyclable and looked good throughout the trial, but the pen supplied with them washed off within two months. Most of the seed-tray labels were made from wood in some form. They quickly discoloured as they absorbed moisture from the seed trays, before splitting and rotting.

How we test plastic-free labels

The Which? Gardening magazine experts selected labels made from wood, aluminium, slate, bamboo, bamboo resin, copper and zinc, all of which were widely available at garden centres and online. We chose13 labels suitable for using in the ground outside and eight smaller types that are intended for seed trays and indoor use.
We bought a range of garden marker pens and pencils. Some of the labels were supplied with a pen.
We chose which pens or pencils to use for each label based on suppliers’ recommendations. For each label type, we wrote the same plant name on four labels, photographed the fresh ones then put three in the ground for the outdoor labels and three in a seed tray in our polytunnel for the indoor types. The fourth label from each type was kept indoors in a sealed container for comparison purposes.
For some of the labels we tried more than one type of pen.
We rated how easy it was to write on each label with the selected markers and the appearance of the writing when fresh. We assessed the labels once a month from April until October, comparing them against the stored labels. We rated them for any fading or wearing off of the writing and for durability, checking for deterioration of the labels. Towards the end of the trial, we cleaned and reused labels, where possible, and rated them for reusability.