The gardening sector as a whole uses a lot of plastic and unfortunately that makes it a contributor to the global problem of plastic pollution. An astronomical number of plastic plant pots and trays go to landfill every year. A study by the magazine Horticulture Week in 2018 found as many as half a billion plastic pots ended up in landfill or incineration plants every year in the UK alone. Imagine how that multiplies for the US! Such plastics are estimated to take up to 500 years to decompose.
Nowadays many people’s mindsets have moved away from this throw-away culture, but the amount of pots thrown in the garbage is still too high. While there are many alternatives to plastic pots available nowadays, such as those made from coir (Burpee has a huge range of biodegradable pots on Amazon), the best way to deal with those already in sheds, garages and storerooms is to keep using them for years to come, rather than replacing them.
Mohammed Bhula owner of The Botanical Archive, says: 'Reusing plant pots is an incredibly important way to help protect our environment. Tons of pots go into landfills every year and plastic pots in particular take decades to break down. In order to do our bit we recommend reusing plant pots wherever you can.'