Here’s your chance to give plastic plant pots a second life

Gardening season is nearly over, but Londoners can still enjoy the fruits of their labour while helping an environmental group in the city at the same time.

Anyone with plant pots piled up in the garage or shed has a chance to send them to a new home.

Plastics used in the horticulture industry can be hard to recycle correctly depending on their material and colour, but a London group hopes to give them a second life.

A community-wide event with volunteers from the London Environmental Network (LEN) and Heeman’s Garden Centre and Strawberry Farm will collect plastic horticulture containers and grow pots that would otherwise end up in the landfill.

“When working with municipal partners, they were finding it hard to recycle those plastics as part of their large blue bin efforts,” Will Heeman, head of Heeman’s, said. “So, it’s been on our radar to find a partner to take greenhouse plastic back and go into the system to be recycled again.”

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Find Those Pots for Recycling!

✋ Go through those sheds and garages and ask your neighbours and your friends to do the same! We’re hoping to gather 28 full pallets of horticultural plastics next weekend during our Recycling ♻️ event. That is a lot – and we need your help. That plastic will be purchased from us to be recycled and all proceeds will be given to the London Environmental Network so they can continue to do great work greening our communities. 🌳 💚 When: Friday Sep 6, Saturday Sep 7, and Sunday Sep 8 from 11am to 3pm (same time that the Food Trucks are here!) 💚 Where: Heeman’s parking lot, look for the signs! 💚 Why: to ensure these horticulture plastics stay out of the landfill and raise funds for London Environmental Network All you have to do is bring in your empty Polystyrene – P.S. #6, Polypropylene – P.P. #5, High Density Polyethylene – H.D.P.E. #2! This includes pots, trays and tags that are free from potting materials (like soil and old plants). Don’t worry, we will have volunteers here to help you sort it properly. 🙌 For more details visit www.heeman.ca/events/recycling-event Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below! 👇

Posted by Heeman’s on Monday, September 2, 2024

All plastics collected, which include horticultural containers, tags, flats, inserts and pots, will be sold to a recycler, and proceeds will be donated to the London Environmental Network to help promote environmental programming in the community.

A lot of plastic – a truckload of 28 pallets of well-crushed plastic containers, 70 kilograms a pallet – is needed to be able to return the truck to the manufacturer. The goal is to raise between $1,000 and $2,000, Heeman said.

“We’re hoping that volunteers from (the network) and the community will help people get the plastic sorted so they can send it off (to the manufacturer),” Heeman said.

Before dropping off the containers, make sure to remove the excess growing medium and soil. Paper and other foreign materials must be removed from the packaging, but adhesive labels are not a problem.

Gardeners can support other local environmental programs and take advantage of the food trucks stationed at the farm during the collection.

“This is a trial for us, because we’ve never done it before, but I’d like for us to continue to do this,” Heeman said.

As for what the community gets from contributing, he said there are many benefits.

“By recycling it in this way, not only are you able to give that container a second life and have it avoid the landfill, but also get to support the local organization advancing sustainability efforts in the community,” Heeman said.

The event goes from Sept. 6 to 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Heeman’s, 20422 Nissouri Rd. Thorndale.

bbaleeiro@postmedia.com

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