Sadly, I was a contributor to the Patch yesterday, or to some mess like it. I was cleaning up the garage and without thinking (the big problem), I threw out several plastic plant pots that I no longer needed. I keep most of them, but these were cracked. So out they went.
Plant pots can be hard to recycle because they are made of plastics that are not so easy to melt down and reuse. Most are labeled PP, meaning they are polypropylene. One tough plastic, but it's slowly gaining acceptance at recycling plants. So I've started to put them in our recycling bin, hoping they'll know what to do with them at the plant.
I realized that I could easily gather up these pots and donate them to schools, nursing homes, and community gardens. Most last for years, and, though eventually they'll end up cracked and useless, they can be reused many times until that point.
Also, I've seen some of the larger nurseries, like Bonnie Plants, start using biodegradable, compostable plant pots. I've bought many herbs from Bonnie and the pots really work. I can simply replant the herb, pot and all, in the garden, or peel off the pot and throw that in the garden, or trash (plants with more tender roots can have trouble growing through the pot into the soil). So progress is definitely being made. After all, gardeners should be mindful of their trash, and I won't be throwing plastic pots away anytime soon....
