Sustainability happens everyday and here at GardenComm, we dedicate the 5th Wednesday of the month to highlight topics, brought forward from the GardenComm Sustainability Committee. Learn more about who they are and the role they play in the GardenCommunity. In this edition:
Article - Plastic in the Industry, Past and Future. by Marie Chieppo
GardenComm Sustainability Summit 2023
GardenComm Upcoming Events
Plastic in the Industry, Past and Future.
by Marie Chieppo
Sustainability in horticulture entails more than matching plants to site conditions or reducing water use. Some products used in the industry like the plastic cell packs and containers, remain in the environment for hundreds of years, leaching toxins into soil and water bodies.
In 2019 I took a deep dive into the fate of plastic pots. Designers and landscapers alone go through millions in one growing season. As a member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designer’s Sustainability Committee I was asked to learn where these pots ultimately end up. I assumed they were recycled. It turns out that 98% of them never make it to a conveyor belt, but are disposed of in landfills.
Why is it so difficult?
The default black plastic pot cannot be detected by recycling facility’s optical readers. The recycling infrastructure that exists was largely ignored for years because we depended on China to process our waste. The type of plastic that is used has minimal market value which disincentivizes a nursery to pay for them to be cleaned and collected. Lastly, the resin code at the base is close to impossible to read.
When plastic pots hit the market, the green industry became one of the fastest growing industries in modern history. Unfortunately, like all plastics, consideration for how to dispose of them was second to their usefulness.
Fortunately, manufacturers are engaged in developing alternative pots, but matching the economy and durability of plastic pots has been challenging. Trials of bioplastic and fiber based options for growers have been underway for years and now their availability in the market is increasing. Others don’t have plastic leaving the nursery - plants are sold and contained in cardboard.
East Jordan Plastics, one of the largest plant container manufacturers in the country, recycles their containers for feedstock.
Hope is on the way.
Marie Chieppo, Ecological Landscape Designer, EcoPlantPlans, LLC
Exclusive Industry Virtual Event
Virtual Sustainability Summit 2023
The Sustainability Summit is a free, on-demand virtual summit, presenting sustainability leaders in the green industry. It looks at issues that affect everyone, regardless if you’re an industry professional or individual consumer. It’s a collective of industry and business professionals who do amazing work, yet much of it goes unnoticed or overlooked, the industry operates in silos. What affects our gardens, affects our trees, affects our landscape and affects our farms. It’s all connected and only the GardenCommunity can bring them all together in this one event.
Speakers & Sessions
Richard Restuccia, SVP of Water Management Solutions at Jain Irrigation – Agricultural Irrigation
Danny Mishek, President of SelfEco/ Proven Winner – Compostable Plant Containers
Denise Coogan, Environmental Partnership Manager |Subaru USA – Zero Waste Facilities
Ben Wilinsky, Director, Partnerships and Innovation | Arbor Day Foundation – Trees & Carbon
Warren Gorowitz, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility | Hunter Industries – Sustainability and CSR
Tania Marien, Contributor to The Carbon Almanac – Inside the Global Network of the Carbon Almanac
Panel Discussions
GardenComm Sustainability Committee – The Past, Present and Future: Embracing Sustainable Initiatives and Practices in Our Diverse Industry.
Lois de Vries, Executive Director of the Sustainable Gardening Institute and founder of SGI's Sustainable Gardening Library
Casey Sclar, Ph.D., H. O. Smith Endowed Director of The Arboretum at Penn State and Adjunct Professor of Entomology
Eliot Wadsworth, owner of White Flower Farm, a family nursery business in Litchfield, CT
Supporting Sustainability in the Garden Marketplace - Discussion led by LaManda Joy, Co-Founder of the Great Grow Along and Simple Spring Research, with garden product suppliers.
Cultivate'23 is the largest horticulture trade show in North America! It is happening July 15-18, 2023 at the Columbus Convention Center. Thanks to AmericanHort, GardenComm members are eligible to receive the AmericanHort member discount pricing when registering for Cultivate'23.
Register Now! 2023 GardenComm Annual Conference August 1-5, presented by Endless Summer® Hydrangeas
What do garden tours, educational sessions, trade shows, networking, top garden center owners and operators, media awards and honors all have in common? GardenComm's 75th Annual Conference presented by Endless Summer® Hydrangeas! Join us live in Minneapolis, MN, August 1-5th, for this major milestone conference. Together with Platinum Sponsors, Proven Winners Color Choice®, we've put together an industry experience you can't find anywhere else. Check out the website for more details and watch the preview video below for sneak peek of what's in store for you in Minneapolis.
