Horticulture Sector Warns Gardeners Face ‘Postcode Lottery’ on Plant Pot Recycling
Gardeners across England could face a postcode lottery when attempting to recycle their plant pots at home from the end of this month as warned by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA).
Under the Government’s Simpler Recycling reforms, local authorities will be required to collect recyclable plastic plant pots as part of household kerbside services from 31 March. Despite this, the HTA has identified that several councils are still advising residents not to place plant pots in recycling bins.
Plant pots fall within the category of recyclable household plastic waste, which includes materials such as PET, PP and polyethylene bottles, pots, tubs and trays. This means that non-black plastic plant pots should be collected as part of household recycling services. Councils choosing not to collect these plant pots risk contradicting the Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024.
The horticulture sector has shifted away from traditional black plastic pots over several years, replacing them with recyclable polypropylene pots that can be detected by modern recycling technology. With millions of pots in circulation each year, ensuring consistent council guidance is vital to preventing recyclable plastics from being unnecessarily thrown away.
Paul East, Technical Packaging Lead at RECOUP, said “RECOUP has worked with our members to ensure, by robust trials, that their plant pots are recyclable, and are ready to be included in the Simpler Recycling regulations.”
The HTA is urging councils to update their guidance so gardeners can recycle with confidence. It will monitor how well the new rules are implemented and highlight where guidance still needs updating