Greenies Growing Greener: Thereīs a movement afoot
in the horticulture industry to "green up" the way
plastics are used, the Chicago Tribune
reports. The
problem is that too many of the pots, trays and such that
plants are sold in canīt be readily recycled:
"Growers, big-box stores, manufacturers and garden
centers are under pressure not just from more
environmentally conscious consumers, but from the zooming
prices of oil and natural gas -- the raw materials of
plastics. Though a substantial proportion of the plastic
resin that goes into the larger, sturdier pots is recycled
from other sources, not much of that gets reused or
recycled again. Most goes to landfills."
The industry has an interesting plan to fix the
problem. At a meeting this week in Columbus, Ohio, members
of the industry are discussing a proposal to make
recycling easier by standardizing and limiting the sizes
of pots and the materials used to make them. The
industryīs ultimate goal is to produce a biodegradable pot
that could be planted directly into the soil.
The day that goal is reached, I predict there will be
great rejoicing in the lazy-gardening community.
Metal Crackdown: Count Oregon among the states
taking aim at metal thieves. The Oregon Senate has
unanimously approved a bill that bans people from selling
certain oft-stolen types of metal to scrap dealers unless
they come from a company or agency approved to trade in
such material, the Eugene Register-Guard
reports.
Metal dealers are also barred from paying for scrap
material in cash. Sellers may be paid only by check,
mailed after three business days.
Not surprisingly, some scrap dealers are peeved at this
development because the law would saddle them with new
record-keeping and reporting requirements, plus the added
the threat of criminal charges if they donīt comply.
Oregonīs House of Representatives takes up the bill
next.
Pete Fehrenbach is
managing editor of Waste & Recycling News. Past
installments of this column are collected in
the Inbox archive.
