How to Recycle Used Plant Pots
Recycling used plant pots and flower trays that once contained plantings from the nursery brings your creativity into play. In some neighborhoods, recycling programs don't allow gardeners to mix these plastic pots in with standard recyclable plastics. These plastic pots can be reused around the home in gardening activities and recycled in those areas where recycling of all plastics is permitted. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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How to Recycle Used Plant Pots
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Use the extra pots around your home to start seedlings and transplant giveaway plants for friends and relatives. Small plastic pots work for growing indoor plant cuttings. Check with your plant-loving neighbors to see if they require extra pots for gardening.
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Use smaller pots to line the bottom of larger plant containers to take up space as well as provide some drainage for the container. You'll use less potting soil with the creation of a plastic drainage field in the bottom of the planter. This is a way to reuse broken plastic pots, as well.
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Check with your local garden center to see if it accepts used plant pots. Some nurseries require customers to thoroughly clean the pots and sort them by size.
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Look for the recycling stamp on the bottom of the plant pot. Contact your local recycling agency to find out if placing these items inside your regular plastics-recycling bin is an option. Some areas allow recycling of all types of plastics, including plastic flower trays. Be sure to clean the pots, stack them by size and remove any plant identification tags.
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Purchase plants in biodegradable containers instead of plastic pots. These containers can be placed directly into the ground and they break down completely in the soil over time.
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Use larger plant pots in gardens to create graded container gardens. Dig a slight indentation into the ground and position the pot. Fill with soil and appropriate plants. Include a few with trailing vines or flowers to help the container blend with the garden and hide some of the plastic pot from view. You'll have a sturdy and durable planter.
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Use plastic pots for indoor houseplants that reside inside ceramic or larger planters, instead of filling an ornamental container with dirt. You'll protect the container as well as make transplanting to a larger plastic container simpler to do.
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