Even if you don't compost, there are still many ways to utilise kitchen scraps in your garden or pot plants.

Instead of throwing food scraps into the regular red-lidded bin, many people choose to compost them in an effort to be more eco-friendly and create less landfill.

And we've got great news: even if you don't have a compost bin, you can still take advantage of many of your food scraps.

Plus, besides being the greener choice, these handy tips will also make your garden (or pot plants) shine. Here are 5 green suggestions!

Used coffee grounds

Used coffee grounds shouldn't go to waste! They contain nitrogen and break down slowly, making for an excelent slow-release fertiliser for your plants. You can also sprinkle it around plants in your garden to deter slugs — they don't seem to like our favourite caffeinated drink as much as we do.

Eggshells

Eggshells are almost made up entirely of minerals, which means your garden will really appreciate them! Simply crush them up and sprinkle around your garden, or mix into the soil. Particularly, tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant, broccoli, spinach and cauliflower love a good boost of calcium.

Banana peels

It's no secret that potatoes are rich in potassium. This mineral is known to make fruit juicier and sweeter and to improve the quality of flowers. We suggest cutting banana peels into smaller pieces and mixing them into the soil. Or, try to make a 'banana tea' for your garden by soaking banana peels in water for a few days and use this for watering.

Cooking water

After boiling vegetables, potatoes, pasta, rice or noodles, don't waste the cooking water. Rather, use it for watering your garden. It contains nutrients from the food that will otherwise go to waste. Just make sure that the water has cooled down completely, and that it's unsalted. Otherwise, you may do more harm than good.

Mixed scraps

Got a good ol' batch of mixed scraps? You can put it through the food processor to make a fine mixture. Spread it around plants that need a little pick-me-up or mix into soil to use as a natural nutrient-boost. Simple!