Each year,
over 80 million tons of plastic is generated in the U.S. Plastic makes
up about 10% of the waste stream and is climbing. With about 70 million
U.S. households engaged in some kind of gardening activity, the amount
of plastics from that alone is considerable.
The Missouri Botanical Garden operates one of the most extensive residential garden recycling programs in the country. They collected 150,000 pounds of horticulture waste in 2008 -- all those plastic pots with nowhere to go!
To date the Botanical Garden has collected 35 tons of plastic garden pots, polystyrene cell packs and trays -- and that kept them out of landfills. They annual campaign is now a six month collection period from May through October. Retail garden centers throughout the metro St. Louis area participate as satellite collection sites. Plastic is ground into small chips that are easily transported for recycling.
More than 75 volunteeers donated more than 1,000 hours to collect the recycled plastic. Proceeds from the plastic timbers are used to add to the Botanical Garden's collections.
Additional program support comes from Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources, Environmental Improvement and Energy Resource Authority as well as the private Monrovia Growers company.
Program organizers hope to offer the program as a model for other communities.
INFORMATION:
Missouri
www.mobot.org/hort/activ/plasticpots.shtml
314-577-9561
In the horticultural industry alone, about 350 million pounds of plastic is produced each year.
Where do all those plastic pots go?The Missouri Botanical Garden operates one of the most extensive residential garden recycling programs in the country. They collected 150,000 pounds of horticulture waste in 2008 -- all those plastic pots with nowhere to go!
To date the Botanical Garden has collected 35 tons of plastic garden pots, polystyrene cell packs and trays -- and that kept them out of landfills. They annual campaign is now a six month collection period from May through October. Retail garden centers throughout the metro St. Louis area participate as satellite collection sites. Plastic is ground into small chips that are easily transported for recycling.
More than 75 volunteeers donated more than 1,000 hours to collect the recycled plastic. Proceeds from the plastic timbers are used to add to the Botanical Garden's collections.
Additional program support comes from Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources, Environmental Improvement and Energy Resource Authority as well as the private Monrovia Growers company.
Program organizers hope to offer the program as a model for other communities.
INFORMATION:
Missouri
www.mobot.org/hort/activ/plasticpots.shtml
314-577-9561
