Three gardening sisters are challenging the horticultural industry to reduce the amount of plastic it uses.

As thousands of us head to garden centres to stock up on plants for the summer, the trio, Elaine, Laura and Caroline, say they are disappointed suppliers are still selling so many plants in unsustainable plastic pots.

“The reasons for using plastic are understandable – it’s water-retentive, cheap, lightweight and easy to handle,” says Elaine, “but it’s also very long-lasting – it takes 450 years for a black plastic pot to decompose, and in the UK alone, 500 million plastic pots and seed trays go to landfill every year. 

“If you add in the environmental impact of plastic pot manufacture across the world, you can see the horticultural industry has a lot to answer for, ecologically speaking. We’d like suppliers to Stop the Pots.”

Instead, the sisters, who write a gardening blog together at The3Growbags.com, are asking retailers to consider transferring plants into sustainable packaging at the point of sale, as a first step.

Laura continued: “If the plant was transferred from its plastic container to something biodegradable, the retailer could keep the pot for cleaning and re-use, and the buyer could plant their purchase straight into their garden or into a pot they already have at home.” 

According to the sisters, some outlets have started to experiment with different materials. Caroline points to Wool Pots, which use UK sheep fleeces to make fully bio-degradable pots. “We’re starting to use these for seedlings at home with great results but if you buy a plant, it still comes in a plastic pot. 

“We're definitely not experts” said Caroline, “but we are worried about how slowly the horticultural industry is addressing this issue.  Gardeners, of all people, should be aware of the impact human actions are having on the planet and climate change. 

WILL YOU JOIN US IN OUR PETITION TO GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY TO ACCELERATE THE PROGRESS TO NON-PLASTICS IN GARDENING?