Recycling and reuse of materials

The interior landscaping industry is not a significant user of resources when compared with other commercial activities.  Nevertheless, it is important that materials and resources are used efficiently and with as little impact on the wider environment as possible.

The waste generated by interior landscapers includes materials used in the preparation and installation of plant displays and the remains of plant displays once they have been dismantled or refurbished.  Many of the waste products can be recycled or reused, although the degree by which this is possible varies considerably.

Preparation and installation of interior landscapes

The main types of waste material generated during the preparation and installation of interior landscapes are packaging materials.  These include the nursery pots that the plants were grown in and any boxes and other packaging materials used to transport the plants to their final destination.

Most nursery pots are made from cheap plastic materials and are regarded as disposable.  Their reuse is impractical as they would require sorting, cleaning, repacking and redistribution.  This means that most plastic nursery pots are either sent to landfill sites or are recycled as a raw material for low grade plastic manufacture.

Recently, there have been attempts to manufacture biodegradable nursery pots, such as the example illustrated.  These are made from plant material and resin and are proving to be popular in some areas of horticulture.  Their use by interior plant producers is still limited as their long-term durability has yet to be proved.  (Remember, large interior plants take months, if not years, to get to a marketable size; whereas many plants used out-of-doors, such as annual bedding plants, spend only a few weeks in a nursery pot.)

Organic waste

When a plant display has come to the end of its useful life, it will need to be dismantled.  The hardware; such as the decorative container, top dressings and irrigation systems will be separated from the organic material, such as the plant and any compost.

Sometimes, the plant can be reused.  This is especially the case where the plant has been removed for reasons other than its decline in aesthetic value.  Large specimen plants can be placed on a nursery and brought back to a commercial standard and reused if necessary.  With small plants, their value is usually outweighed by the costs involved in bringing them back up to a commercially acceptable standard, so they will be disposed of along with other organic waste.

Plants that cannot be reused are often shredded or chipped, and then composted.  This material can then be used as a soil improver or top dressing for outdoor flower beds.

Old compost can also be reused as a soil improver or top dressing, but care must be taken if it has been treated with any soil-applied chemical.  There may be instances when the reuse of compost in horticulture is restricted.

Finally, old organic matter that has been chipped can be used as fly cover in landfill sites.  A layer of old compost or composted green waste can be an effective method of reducing the numbers of flies emerging from waste in landfill sites and some landfill contractors will gladly take such waste away.

Waste that is held or transported may be subject to special regulations and it is important to ensure that all necessary waste handling licences have been obtained.

Old containers and other hardware

Old containers and other hardware can often be reused.  Irrigation systems will need to be sterilized and new capillary wicks inserted, but otherwise they can be reused indefinitely.

Old containers are less easy to deal with, and the procedures employed will depend on several factors.  These include the materials in the container and its condition.

To find out more about the reusability of plant containers, click here to go to the containers section of the Specifiers' Guide.