With plastic plant pots being likened to supermarket carrier bags, it is important that the garden centre industry pursues ways in which their unnecessary disposal to landfill can be reduced. Bents Garden & Home in Glazebury is doing just that with the introduction of a recycling station dedicated to the return of plastic plant pots.
The new facility demonstrates a complete ‘circle of life’ as the plant pots are removed from the Centre to be chipped and baled and then go on to be used in the production of new anoraks and plastic toys.
Bents grows almost 60% of its plants on its own on-site nurseries and already has a long established ‘save and recycle’ programme for its own Bents branded pots. Customers have been able to return the Bents’ pots and receive 50p off the purchase of their next hardy plant for over five years, but the centre is now offering an additional recycling facility for all plastic plant pots.
Says Matthew Bent, Managing Director at Bents Garden & Home: “The new facility has proved to be an immediate success with our customers. We have had great feedback and discovered that people don’t like throwing pots away but until now have had no alternative as the type of plastic the pots are made of isn’t accepted by usual recycling schemes.
“Some people accumulate pots in garages or sheds, but they now have a facility where they can return them safe in the knowledge that they will be recycled and re-used.”
Last year Bents introduced its Five Green Footprints, a demonstration of its commitment to green issues, helping to maintain sustainability and make a difference to the environment.
Recycling was identified as the first Footprint and, in addition to the new recycling station and existing ‘Save and Recycle’ scheme, the centre also recycles plastics, glass, paper and cardboard and encourages customers to do the same, with fully recyclable bags, biodegradable boot liners and customer recycling facilities on site.