Compostable plant pots

[burnie]

Not sure if anyone has come across this product before, new to me, found in a GC at Banchory in Aberdeenshire.
Made from sustainable Bamboo and Rice, compostable pots of varying sizes along with pot trays and seed trays as well. Come with a 5 year life and free from petroleum based plastics, so I am giving some a go and will report back. The ones I have are from Haxnicks, nice to have another plastic free option, not that expensive either.

[veggiechicken]

We need the retailers to sell their plants in compostable pots - I can't remember the last time I bought a flower pot without a plant in it!

[Bren In Pots]

Most of mine were from charity shops so they're a mix bag of sizes and colour, I do like the sound of compostable ones

[elsie-scot]

We need the retailers to sell their plants in compostable pots - I can't remember the last time I bought a flower pot without a plant in it!

There is at least one company selling their plug plants in compostable product - but can’t remember who, as I’ve looked at so many! Those plastic plug plants containers are no good to reuse.

The Victoriana Nursery wraps there plants in newspaper.

[toomanytommytoes]

Wonder if these will be truly compostable in home compost piles, or if it'll be like the compostable plastic bags which only break down under industrial composting conditions.

[bikermike]

Even if it is, IMO it's still better than plastic.

All my pots at the moment are yoghurt pots...

[Thelma Sanders]

I now have visions of a sad plant growing in the remains of a pot, which is disintegrating as I look at it..

[veggiechicken]

Wonder if these will be truly compostable in home compost piles, or if it'll be like the compostable plastic bags which only break down under industrial composting conditions.

Attack them with a hammer first according to the video!!

https://youtu.be/HzTMReqT1ZY

[veggiechicken]

There is at least one company selling their plug plants in compostable product - but can’t remember who, as I’ve looked at so many! Those plastic plug plants containers are no good to reuse.

The Victoriana Nursery wraps there plants in newspaper.

Pennards use ?coir pots that look like bird's nests.
Some plastic pots on sale now are recyclable - its the black ones that aren't.

[toomanytommytoes]

Even if it is, IMO it's still better than plastic.

All my pots at the moment are yoghurt pots...

They probably still contain plastic, just not a petrochemical based one. If I can get hold of one of these pots I'll run it through a hot compost pile and see what happens.

The issue for me is if people can't get them to break down in their compost piles they'll just start chucking them in the green waste or general waste bins instead. Are the green waste recyclers able to distinguish easily between normal plant pots and these ones, or will they just pick them out and send them to landfill? Do they actually break down in landfill in reasonable time, if so is it an anaerobic process which releases methane?

[toomanytommytoes]

Attack them with a hammer first according to the video!!

https://youtu.be/HzTMReqT1ZY

A follow up video to see if they've broken down would be interesting!

[Mamzie]

A lot of mine are many years old. Otherwise I am getting most of my pots from a local waste recycling centre, where you can have as many as you want for a donation.

My bigger pots are the flower buckets from Lidls as they don't reuse them sadly, so at least this way they get a few extra years use. I just ask if they have any available when we visit, I also have a few of their multiple pot holders from the plants for sale displays x

[veggiechicken]

I'm interested in the production process that creates these pots. Being naturally suspicious, I'm also dubious of companies jumping on the earth-friendly bandwagon in order to sell more new stuff.
IMO its better to keep reusing what we already have (even if made of plastic) rather than buying new because it sounds caring.
I'm also mean, but not as mean as rary!

[Mark_Riga]

I think plastic plant pots are not too bad really. I bought some about 35 years ago (made in Cheshire then) that I am still using. So, if you look after them and they last a lifetime... What is a much bigger problem is plastic containers and wrappings that are only used once and then binned, like a lot of food containers.

[bikermike]

multiple use (or lack thereof) is definitely the defining issue. Although anything that moves away from plastic (as it gets in the food chain and stays there indefinitely) is good.

the follow-on problem is the drop in market for things that last, and so pots get thinner and cheaper and the longevity value isn't properly realised.