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Plastic Pots Recycling Sets Record in Missouri
MISSOURI BOTANIC GARDEN
5th November 2007

The Missouri Botanical Garden set a new recycling record in 2007 with the collection of over 100,000 lbs. of horticultural plastic originally destined for landfills. The Garden’s successful Plastic Pot Recycling program in St. Louis is the most extensive public garden recycling program in the United States, collecting over 300 tons of waste in the past 10 years.

The “green” initiative is led by the Garden’s William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening, which organizes the yearly public collection of plastic garden pots, polystyrene cell packs and trays on six weekends in May and June. 

Pots and trays are sorted by plastic type and granulated on-site into small chips that are easily transported for recycling. The plastic regrind is sold back to consumers as retaining wall ties and timbers for use in landscaping projects. The plastic timbers are water and pest resistant and can be cut and drilled similar to wooden lumber. They outlast traditional wooden railroad ties that have a lifespan of only ten to 15 years. 

Read more on the Landscape Management Blog 



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The Sustainable Sites Initiative is a collaborative effort to create a scheme that allows builders and landscape architects to enhance the ability of landscapes to provide services such as climate regulation, clean air and water, and improved quality of life.

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