Redesigning the product and process

A colleague of mine who teaches stormwater management posed a question to the audience about runoff: “Where does the water go?” he asks. “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 and bodies of water, we are impacting nature in ways that are difficult to reverse. The “away” for plastic plant containers is largely the landfill also with negative impacts on the environment. The public is advocating producers be responsible for products that otherwise are costly if not impossible to recycle. In 2022, IPSOS conducted a global survey about plastics to 20,000 people across 28 countries. Findings included 85% of those polled felt manufacturers should be held responsible for their plastic waste. 82% favor products with less plastic packaging. In our industry we produce a huge volume of plastic products that are typically used once then discarded. It’s understandable how we came to rely on them, as did other industries. 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 materials by placing the responsibility on producers. In response, industries are redesigning packaging to be in compliance with the milieux of requirements. It’s an overwhelming problem that is going to require an industry-wide solution with redesigned 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. The latest data I looked at from 2009 (time for an update), for the report “Plastics Pots and the Green Industry: Production, Use, Disposal and Environmental Impacts” (Association of Professional Landscape Designers 2020), of the 4 billion container/plant units produced, 1.66 billion pounds of plastic was used. Our products are now subject to laws and legislation in five states (Minnesota being the most recent) of EPR enforcement, forcing 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 - 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 required to offset the amount of virgin oil used in the manufacturing process.

For a number of years, I’ve been following innovative packaging within 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 Boxed Water is Better, the simplicity and eco-friendly packaging enlightened me of 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 elle pots with Air-Tray technology that provides air pruning (for healthier roots), 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, a nursery that I am very familiar with, is currently offering their American Beauties line with this system. I would imagine others are as well.

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 will pose them to be accepting of a product that they can either allow to decompose or throw into the trash.

Speaking of fiber, we should consider thinking about the right pot for the right plant. Herbs, annuals and a number of perennials do not need to be containerized for long. My friend Jasmin Callahan, the owner and propagator of Dragonfly Natives in southern Massachusetts, is dedicated to finding suitable plants for fiber containers. A crop of prunella I purchased had to wait its turn for planting. Two weeks later the plant remained very 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. The type of plastic like HDPE, a stronger material, would increase recyclability even more and possibly increase the likelihood it is reused.

Our products could be redesigned using less material overall. HC Companies revolutionary Low-Profile tray 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 municipalities.

Recede Bioplastics, a company based in Florida, is engineering plastic-like products that are both marine and soil biodegradable.

According to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, without fundamental design and innovation, 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. Concern over the availability of a sufficient supply of PCR is already playing out. A number of manufacturers have the grinding capability to harvest their feedstock. The primary resource for recycling in the eastern U.S. is East Jordan Plastics based in Michigan. With collaboration to create hubs for collection and compaction, we could secure our supply.

As the infrastructure for recycling grows (with funding from EPRs, etc.) it’s vital we get a seat at the table advocating for machinery that can handle our products. We literally throw billions of dollars worth of material away 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 impact the realism of the production and sales of our products.

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 to 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 before producing, know in advance 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, innovate to create pots that are reusable, certified recyclable or compostable, or a process that leaves zero plastic behind.

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.

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.

Not being a manufacturer but an ecological designer, I am often 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 on. Consumers are begging for more circular systems in their backyards and products they purchase. 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. We are the green industry after all.

For more information go to the APLD’s website healthypotshealthyplanet.org.

Marie’s website sustainableplantpots.org is another resource.

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