Recycling program saves nursery containers from landfill

Missouri Botanical Garden set a new recycling record in 2007 with the collection of more than 100,000 pounds of horticultural plastic originally destined for landfills. The recycling program has collected more than 300 tons of waste over the past 10 years.

During the last four years, the program has expanded to include collections from wholesale growers and landscape contractors.

“It is increasingly apparent that our disregard for the reuse of plant containers ends in millions of pounds of plastic being wasted into landfills each year,” said Steve Cline, manager of the Kemper Center for Home Gardening and recycling program founder. “Providing an alternative to pitching pots by offering a program to recycle them has sparked a sense of loyalty to doing the right thing. We continue to be impressed with the public and green-industry response to this effort.”

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Pots and trays are transformed into plastic landscaping timbers and retaining wall ties.

For more: Missouri Botanical Garden, (314) 577-9561; www.mobot.org.