The container challenge: Seeking solutions

A colleague of mine, who teaches stormwater management, posed a question to the audience about runoff: “Where does the water go? Away, right? Where is away?” Out of sight, out of mind.

In our throwaway economy, “away” is having real-time consequences. As fertilizers flow into ground water, lakes, rivers and seas, we are impacting nature in ways that are difficult to reverse. The “away” for plastic plant containers is largely the landfill, which also has negative impacts on the environment.

The public is advocating for producers to be responsible for products that are costly, if not impossible, to recycle. In 2022, the market research firm IPSOS conducted a global survey about plastics that drew responses from 20,000 people across 28 countries. Findings revealed 85% of those polled felt manufacturers should be held responsible for their plastic waste, and 82% favored products with less plastic packaging. In our industry, we produce a huge volume of plastic products that are typically used once then discarded. We face a public reckoning.

U.S. states are poised to be influential standard setters on the future of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies and legislation to mitigate the enormous volumes of plastic products by placing the responsibility on producers. In response, industries are redesigning packaging to comply with the myriad requirements. It’s an overwhelming problem that requires an industry-wide solution, with products that create circularity, eliminate or reduce toxins and are in compliance with current and future regulations.

In the agricultural world alone, an estimated 12.5 million tons of plastic are used annually. In the latest data I reviewed from 2009 for the report “Plastics Pots and the Green Industry: Production, Use, Disposal and Environmental Impacts” (Association of Professional Landscape Designers 2020), of the four billion container/plant units produced, 1.66 billion pounds of plastic were used.

Our products are now subject to laws and legislation in five states (Minnesota being the most recent) that force the hand of producers to create products and packaging with less virgin oil. EPR legislation places the responsibility for the life of the product into the hands of the producers. The reason is to mitigate what we currently can’t recycle and create badly needed recycling infrastructure and capabilities. Truth-in-labeling laws require third-party certification that a product gets recycled and is recyclable. A percentage of post-consumer resin is also being required to offset the amount of virgin oil used in the manufacturing process.

Alternative products

For several years, I’ve been following innovative packaging in the food and beverage industries. Granted, it is a very different product subject to different requirements, but ideas can be sparked by assessing the innovation of different industries. The first time I came across the brand Boxed Water Is Better, the simplicity and eco-friendly packaging showed me a potential material for horticulture. If the food industry can do it, why can’t we?

I wasn’t too far off the mark. The Blackmore Company and Lars Peter Jensen created a system using a cardboard-type material rather than plastic as the “container” for plants. Grown in Ellepots with Air Tray technology that provides air pruning, the plant is enclosed in a cardboard sleeve with printing that provides the same information a tag would. Zero plastic stays at the nursery or follows the consumer. Prides Corner Farms in Lebanon, Connecticut, is currently using this system for its American Beauties Native Plants line.

Fiber and bioplastic pots are excellent options. Bioplastic takes approximately three to four years to completely break down, without leaving chemicals behind. Industrial composting speeds up the process significantly. People’s increasing awareness about the fate of plastic containers opens them up to accept a product they can either allow to decompose or throw in the trash.

Speaking of fiber, we should consider thinking about the right pot for the right plant. Herbs, annuals and some perennials do not need to be containerized for long. Jasmin Callahan, the owner and propagator of Dragonfly Natives in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, is dedicated to finding suitable plants for fiber containers. A crop of prunella I purchased from her had to wait its turn for planting. Two weeks later, the plant remained healthy, and the roots were being naturally air pruned.

We could standardize the composition of our pots along with the sizes and shapes. For collection and recyclability, it would be a big game-changer. Mixed plastics create additional barriers to the recycling system. Using a type of plastic like HDPE, a stronger material, would increase recyclability even more and possibly increase the likelihood it is reused. Our products could also be redesigned using less material overall.

The HC Companies developed the Low-Profile Tray. It has an ergonomic design that speeds productivity and improves handling. It is manufactured with recycled materials and made from polypropylene, a material that is widely accepted in municipality recycling programs. Florida-based Recede Bioplastics is engineering plastic-like products that are both marine- and soil-biodegradable.

Industry options

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, without fundamental design and innovation changes, about 30% of plastic packing will never be reused or recycled. That’s across multiple industries.

States will be looking to incrementally increase the percentage of PCR in materials; therefore, it is in our best interest to produce pots with as much PCR as possible. But concern over the availability of a sufficient supply of PCR is already playing out. Several manufacturers have grinding capability to harvest their feedstock. The primary resource for recycling in the eastern U.S. is Michigan-based East Jordan Plastics. With collaboration to create hubs for collection and compaction, we could secure our supply.

As the infrastructure for recycling grows, it’s vital we get a seat at the table advocating for machinery that can handle our products. We throw away billions of dollars worth of material every year.

The Horticultural Research Institute’s Plastic Task Force is taking a deep dive and accelerating efforts into what our options are for alternative materials, how to increase recyclability, cost, material selection, material compatibility, supply chains, market demand and feasibility. All of these factors impact the reality of the production and sales of our products.

At the end of the day, our plants need to be attractive and healthy. People do not purchase plants for their containers. Frankly, consumers are increasingly becoming fed up that the onus is on them to find a way to dispose of them. The majority do not have access to the few container manufacturing companies’ recycling programs or dedicated recyclers.

The concern with plastic pots isn’t new. Past trials have tried to find answers to alternative materials but with little headway. What’s new is the speed at which we need to respond. Regardless of how this issue is resolved, we need to have a systemic approach that works for all growers. In addition, reality requires that we source whatever kind of feedstock needed and know, before producing, how the product will be handled post-use.

To reduce plastic waste and packaging concerns, a comprehensive circular economy approach is needed. We need to eliminate as much virgin plastic as possible and innovate to create pots that are reusable, certified recyclable, compostable or able to be processed in innovative ways.

A friend and lifelong member of the horticulture community recently commented how wonderful it would be if we could voluntarily make changes rather than wait for the inevitable regulations.

I am not a manufacturer, but an ecological designer who often finds myself explaining costs in a much different scenario. Upfront costs for a landscape that is ultimately self-sustaining are higher than traditional design, but enhancing the landscape’s sustainability results in far less spending later. Consumers are begging for more circular systems in their backyard gardens and in the products they purchase to enable those spaces. They want to feel good about what they purchase. A similar significant upfront investment may be what allows us to keep our industry viable and the environment healthy. After all, we are the green industry.

Marie Chieppo is principal of EcoPlantPlans, LLC based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.