Garden Pot Recycling

Posted by Jamie McIntosh Aug 7, 2008

As organic gardeners, we like to consider ourselves stewards of the earth, but did you ever wonder what happens to the garden flats, trays and pots that you bring home from your local nursery or garden center? In most cases, you can’t recycle them. According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, we recycle only about 1% of garden plastics. Part of the recycling barrier is the fact that the horticulture industry doesn’t use recycling-friendly plastic in its pots and trays.

If you look at the bottom of your gardening pots, you will notice a “chasing arrow” symbol with a number closed inside. However, this chasing arrow symbol can be misleading. Many recycling programs only accept #1 and #2 plastics, commonly used in food containers. The #4 and #5 plastics commonly used in the gardening industry may not be recyclable curbside, and #7 plastics aren’t recyclable at all.

So, what’s a responsible organic gardener to do? First, start more of your own plants from seed. You can fashion your grow pots from newspaper. Even if you use plastics that can’t be recycled, you can reuse them many times by sterilizing them each season. When you shop for plants, look for retailers that offer biodegradable garden pots. Even big box retailers like Wal-Mart and Home Depot are offering these pots. Finally, look for pots that you can add to your compost heap at the end of the growing season. Circle of Life makes pots from rice byproducts, and Cow Pots uses manure to make pots that are both biodegradable and nourishing.