Don't Let Your Plastic Nursery Pots End Up In A Landfill – Do This Instead

If you're an avid gardener or indoor plant collector, chances are you have plenty of extra plastic plant pots on hand. When it's finally time to clean out your potting bench or trendy window plant shelf, however, these plastic nursery pots can be tricky to dispose of. They generate a lot of waste if you toss them into your trash bin, but it's not a good idea to put them in the blue bin, either — they're just another one of those pesky household items you're probably recycling wrong. It might take a little extra effort, but returning your plant pots to a local gardening center could be the only truly eco-friendly option in your area.

Plastic plant pots typically can't be recycled because they're often made of #5, #6, or another rigid plastic that's difficult for many recycling facilities to process. Some programs may also limit the size of allowable recycled containers. When a batch of recycling is contaminated with too many non-recyclable items inside, it can cause issues at the recovery facility and likely be sent to a landfill. But that doesn't mean you should simply throw your grower pots in the trash, either. Gardening centers, namely Lowe's and The Home Depot, will gladly take your plastic nursery pots off your hands and put in the work to recycle the material properly or reuse your donated pots to sell future plants.

Ready to get rid of your stash of plant pots? While you can always consider the many genius ways to reuse plastic plant pots around your garden, both The Home Depot and Lowe's accept any of these old items, regardless of where you originally purchased it. Lowe's will also accept plastic plant tags. Even if your plant pot is cracked or in poor condition, it's still worth dropping off.

At both Lowe's and The Home Depot, you'll drop your plastic pots off at the Garden Center. Look for the marked pot donation rack or cart; an associate can help you figure out where to go. The retailer will then sterilize and reuse the plastic pots in good condition; the rest will be recycled.

If you don't have a Lowe's or Home Depot nearby, you might still be able to donate your plastic pots to a local nursery or garden center. Call ahead to see if your nursery has a recycling program you can participate in. You should also keep in mind that, in some areas, curbside recycling programs do have the necessary facilities to process your plastic plant pots. Find the recycling code on the bottom of your plastic plant pot, and check your local waste management's website to see if you're able to recycle it at home. Always be sure to rinse and dry each pot out thoroughly before recycling, so no dirt is left behind.