Much like those pesky plastic bags, plastic flower pots and trays cannot be recycled in your regular curbside bin. This is often attributed to the type of plastic that is used to make these pots; the pigmentation gives sorting machines a run for their money, making it challenging to identify the type of plastic used. They can also contain far too much contamination of soil and other organics to make it past inspection, and must be rejected.

Lucky for us, there are a few options to deal with plastic flower pots:

1)     Return them to a local retailer
Lowe’s offers a plastic flower pot recycling program, that allows them a second chance at life. Regardless of where you purchased your plants, simply return the plastic pots to their Garden Center. To learn more about the program, or find a store nearest to you, simply click here.

2)     Reuse them
They make great space-filler for larger flower pots that would otherwise be too heavy if filled to the top with soil. Simply crush them up, and fill in around them with soil. It’s not only good for the environment, it’s much better for your back!

3)     Avoid them all together
Making a conscious effort to plant from seeds (smaller packaging!) or purchasing plants housed in biodegradable pots, is a great way to minimize the number of plastic pots entering the waste stream.

Remember, every little bit makes a big difference! And now that you know what you can do with plastic flower pots and trays, you can help spread the word. Happy gardening!