Plastic pot conundrum. A brief context to set expectations.
Plastic pot conundrum: Quick notes
This is part of a series with Perfect Earth Project, a nonprofit dedicated to toxic-free, ecological gardening, on how you can be more sustainable in your landscapes at home.
“I have a nightmare where I’m in the afterlife dragging around every plastic pot I ever sold—for eternity,” says Flora Grubb, the co-owner of Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco and Los Angeles. “Plastic pots are a really troubling reality of our industry.” According to the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD), 95 to 98 percent of plastic plant pots end up in landfills. And yet 81 percent of global consumers want environmental solutions.
There are economic reasons behind this. Plastic pots cost mere cents to produce while biodegradable materials cost more. They also have a relatively short shelf life. Clay pots (which is what some nurseries used in the not-too-distant past) can cost dollars to produce. They also weigh more than plastic and can break. Easy to ship, plastic is cheap, lightweight, and durable—too durable. It can take up to 500 years to decompose, breaking down into harmful microplastics.
“There is cause for optimism. The industry is well aware that consumers don’t want single-use plastic,” says Eliot A. Wadsworth, owner of White Flower Farm in Connecticut. “And I believe we’ll get to a better status quo in the near future.” But we’re not there yet. Here are some things we can do right now.
Raise awareness.
Above: More than “11.2 billion nursery planters and pots are produced annually across over 70 countries” and nearly all of them end up in the landfill. Photograph by Caitlin Atkinson, courtesy of Flora Grubb, from Shopper’s Diary: Flora Grubb, Now in Los Angeles.
Sign up for APLD’s Healthy Pots, Healthy Planet initiative. Their mission is to “reduce the use of petroleum-based plastic plant containers by advocating for and promoting sustainable alternatives.” Then start talking to your nurseries. “One thing I would emphasize is for folks to inquire at their local garden centers about their plastic use, recycling options, and/or alternative materials,” says Alexis Doshas, the nursery manager of Native Plant Trust’s Nasami Farm Nursery in Massachusetts. “Show demand for plastic reduction, reuse, recycling.” Consumers hold the power to create change.
Plastic pot conundrum comes up here to connect ideas for clarity.
We reference Plastic pot conundrum briefly to keep the thread coherent.
