The problem with plastic

By Sarah Willis

The pots, packs and flats left after a planting job, usually destined for landfill, are discouraging.This trash reminds us we still have a way to go toward truly greening our industry. But new recycling options and degradable planting products offer hope.

The Catch-22 is that the modern horticulture industry was built on plastic. Affordable plastic pots and cell packs meant plants could be grown in automated greenhouses and transported safely to market. Plastic pots brought plants to the masses.

So what is the industry to do with the very visible spoils of the job? Fortunately, technology and public attitudes have changed — first, recycling is becoming more common. And with higher petroleum prices, recycling now makes better economic sense.

Containers and packaging form the largest category of municipal solid waste. The Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC) promotes the diversion of plastic packaging from Canada’s landfills. The Council reports that Canadians recycle only 15 per cent of waste plastic, compared with 22 per cent for the Dutch, 30 per cent for Swedes and 33 per cent for Austrians.

Pots and flats are difficult to recycle because each grower uses different types and sizes to match its equipment and marketing strategies. Most pots, nursery tubs, flats and cell packs are made from recycled plastic resins, mainly No. 6 polystyrene. However, some pots are No. 4 polyethylene and No. 5 polypropylene. Currently about one-third of all Canadians can recycle polystyrene through municipal collection systems. After working with four municipalities on pilot polystyrene collection projects, EPIC has developed a Best Practices guide to encourage municipalities to adopt curbside polystyrene collection programs.

In the meantime, the horticulture industry must find other solutions. U.S. institutions such as the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Missouri Botanic Garden, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the city of Vancouver, Wash., have had great success with pot recycling programs.

The Chicago Botanic Garden has been recycling pots, flats and cell packs for nearly 10 years. Brian Clark, manager of plant production, notes the program is labour intensive and takes up a large footprint. Used plastic is stacked on pallets and shrink-wrapped for stability. The garden must assemble 16 skids before pick-up can be arranged. A recycler pays the Botanic Garden for each ton of plastic, but Clark admits it’s a “minimal profit, with a whole lot of labour involved.” However, the Garden is taking a lead in sustainability initiatives, and this is one piece of the puzzle. “We have streamlined the process to try and minimize handling the used plastic. Our hort crews have been trained to stack the pots properly as soon as they are emptied, and we have developed templates to help them stack the plastic for recycling.” Some of the larger pots are washed and disinfected, but Clark notes they have the luxury of a large volunteer base to help with this job.

Clark says the Chicago Botanic Garden grows about 250,000 plants annually for its seasonal displays, and currently reuses or recycles 85 to 90 per cent of its horticultural plastic. “We’re always looking to expand the program. We’d like to say we recycle everything that comes through our operation, but it isn’t quite true yet.”

A different approach

The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis takes a different approach. It established a community-based recycling program, supported by local garden centres. The garden has accepted plastic from local green industry members every Wednesday morning since 1998. Last year, a donation from Monrovia Growers allowed the program to expand and purchase three recycling trailers. The trailers were stationed at garden centres and a busy commuter parking lot. Satellite collection proved to be a catalyst for broader participation, and the Botanical Garden surpassed its goal of removing 100,000 lbs. of plastic from the waste stream.

To complete the circle, the Missouri Botanical Garden purchased its own granulator several years ago to process plastic into chips for recycling into landscape timbers. The Botanic Garden then sells the long-lasting timbers and also packages them in a raised garden bed kit.

Plastic frames

Sam Alavy of Polyframe Moldings in Port Hope, Ont., creates plastic picture frames and molding from recycled plastic. Alavy recently bought a polystyrene recycling facility in Mississauga, Ont., a complete set up including a wash line to process used plastic into clean reuseable pellets. “We would like (pots and flats) nested together so they are as compact as possible, and then strapped onto skids.” He does not offer a regular pick up service, but if a company accumulates a truckload of neatly stacked used pots on skids, transportation to the recycling plant can be arranged.

This spring, Sheridan Nurseries intro-duced some new environmental initiatives in its nine Ontario garden centres. Pot recycling is among those programs, starting with all ten gallon and larger pots. Sheridan customers who return these large pots receive an immediate nominal refund or credit. This is the first step in the company’s goal to accept and recycle all the plastic pots it sells with plants.

Cannor Nurseries in Chilliwack, B.C., works with a local recycler who accepts all its used nursery pots and greenhouse film. “They’ll take everything down to a four-inch pot,” says Gord Mathies, “but plastic pots are not really a big waste issue for nurseries, as we can often reuse them. A bigger concern for growers is finding a place for our used greenhouse plastic — other than landfills.”

Mathies admits his company needs to refine its technique for bundling used greenhouse film, but his recycler is willing to work with him. “There’s not enough money in recycled plastic for him to come and pick it up, but it is cheaper to bundle the plastic and deliver it, than to dispose of it. It may sound like a hassle, but it is cost effective.” Bio-security measures put in place during the P. ramorum crisis in B.C. several years ago mean that west coast nurseries cannot act as collection centres for pots from garden centres.

To be certain, promoting recycling in your business requires research and effort. A list of recyclers who accept horticultural plastic is available at www.cpia.ca/epic. Finding ways to bury less plastic, no matter the payback, is sure to reward you with some peace of mind.