Missouri Botanical Garden

Plastic Pot Recycling

CLOSE THE RECYCLING LOOP!

Turn your* plastic pots into recycled landscape timbers!*

WHEN

Public Collection:

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Daily
MAY 1 through October 31, 2008

(Not open during special event weekends: Aug. 30, 31 and Sept. 1; Oct. 4 and 5)

Green Industry Collection:

Green industry recyclers including garden centers, professional landscapers, grounds maintenance and growers are encouraged to call the Kemper Center at 314.577.9561 to arrange an appointment for depositing garden plastic on Wednesday mornings. This will ensure that trucks can be safely unloaded without delay.

WHAT

Acceptable garden plastic includes cell packs, trays, pots of all sizes and hanging basket containers. New this year, gardeners must sort and separate their plastic by its numbered type, to recycle for grinding and making into new products. Each collection trailer is marked with simple sorting instructions and symbols to separate #6 plastic (polystyrene cell packs and trays) from #2 and #5 plastic (all other pots). Recyclers are also asked to shake soil and rocks out of containers and remove all metal hangers, rings or other materials which can interfere with the plastic grinding process. Garden edging, plastic sheeting materials and food plastic will not be accepted. No clay pots, please!

"Expanding this program is largely dependent upon gardeners' willingness to take time to point-source separate the different types of plastic into trailer bins," said Dr. Steve Cline, manager of the Kemper Center for Home gardening and Plastic Pot Recycling program founder and organizer. "Separation increases the collection's value and allows this material to become recycled into other goods."

WHERE

Take your pots and trays to Collection Trailers at:

The Monsanto Center parking lot

at 4500 Shaw Boulevard at Vandeventer
(1-2 blocks from the Garden)

and to these Satellite Plastic Pot Recycling Centers:

6 Garden Centers and Nurseries:

Summer Winds at Timber Creek Nursery 54 Clarkson Road Ellisville MO 63011 636-227-0095	Garden Heights Nursery 1605 S. Big Bend Boulevard Richmond Heights MO 63117 314-645-7333
Crabapple Cove Nursery 6961 Telegraph Road South St. Louis County MO 63129 314-846-4021	Greenscape Gardens 2832 Barrett Station Road Ballwin MO 63021 314-821-2440
Bowood Farms 4605 Olive Street St. Louis City MO 63108 314-454-6868	University Gardens 8130 Delmar Boulevard University City MO 63130 314-863-1700
Rolling Ridge Garden Center 60 N. Gore Webster Groves MO 63119 314-962-3311

What are we doing with it?

Horticultural plastic amassed from the collections will be recycled into other industry products, including new cell packs and trays, shipping pallets, and landscaping timbers for building retaining walls.

In 2006, the Garden purchased a granulator and conveyor to process plastic into chips, doubling the former capacity. In 2007, materials were separated by the type of plastic so that it could be more easily marketed and recycled into other products. Proceeds from the sale of plastic chips are used to continue the annual collection. In addition, we have contracted with various recycling companies to have our plastic made into landscape timbers.

Purchase recycled timbers

Garden pots and trays have been recycled into landscape timbers, useful for building retaining walls and landscape borders. There are 2 sizes. One measures 7 inches X 9 inches by 8.5 feet long, and weighs 250 pounds. The other measures 5 inches X 6 inches X 8 feet long and weighs 70 pounds. Both last for up to 50 years. Both size timbers are sold for $40 each. The heavier timbers are available at the Garden to those with appropriate load-bearing transportation. Homeowners are encouraged to work with landscape contractors for transportation, planning and construction with these timbers due to the weight and equipment required for moving. Timbers can be cut with a circular saw and drilled similar to wood. The 70 pound timbers are available from Gary Ryan at Ryan Enterprises, (573) 592-0202.

For more information on the plastic pot recycling program or to purchase the 250 pound plastic timbers, contact Dr. Steven Cline at steven.cline@mobot.org or call him at (314) 577-9561.