We all believe that gardening, landscaping and nursery growing are "green" industries and all that grows is good for the earth.

Those industries add beauty to the world, increase our oxygen supply, create habitat for wildlife and help with carbon sequestration, but not everything used to grow is good for the environment. From pesticides to garden waste to the use of plastic there is much waste generation and environmental impact from green industries.

Organics and some landscape construction waste can be recycled, and pesticides in the original labelled container can be taken to recycling locations to be safely disposed. But thousands of tons of plastic used for plant pots and trays are currently going into landfills.

During my conversation with Renata Triveri, retail priorities manager for the British Columbia Landscape Nursery Association, I found out that there is no mandatory, industry-driven program for the recycling of plastic nursery pots, trays and plastic growing bags in the province. There are several reasons for the lack of this recycling: the association has no facilities or means to undertake plastic pot recycling; and several market cost factors influence when and how much plastic can and will be recycled, which affects return and recycling rates; and municipalities don't want to deal with plastic pot recycling because unlike beverage containers, plastic pots are hard to clean due to the soil residue on the pot.

As well, nurseries and garden centres are unable or unwilling to take back pots and trays because of concerns over pathogenic-infection from soil residues on those pots. Specifically, infection from sudden oak death syndrome, phytothera, pythium and other soil-borne diseases that may be in the soil on any returned pot.

Plastic recycling is a worldwide problem. In a 2008 report by Gardner Pinfold Consulting submitted to the province's Ministry of Environment, several key concepts were recommended to move forward provincial recycling goals. One of these concepts is "Extended Producer Responsibility," or product stewardship, which considers the whole life cycle of a product, from selection of materials and design to its end of life. This means that producers who make the product and consumers who buy the product should assume the cost of plastic recycling programs rather than taxpayers or local government.

The green wave is hitting all segments of society. The Recycling Regulation of the B.C. Environmental Management Act was recently amended to require the producers (manufacturers and importers) of all packaging (including nursery pots, trays and plastic growing bags) to implement an industry product stewardship collection program by May 2014. The regulation is an incentive for producers to make and sell products that are more durable, contain few toxins and never become waste. However, packaging at institutional, commercial and industrial facilities is not required to be collected.

Well, that's progress of a sort.

The legislation's details will be worked out over the next few months as the ministry consults with stakeholder groups. The new legislation will help keep potentially toxic plastic residue out of our soil and water. For the gardening public, the legislative change means we have to be mindful of our purchasing choices and look to retailers to provide us with sustainable packaging options.

There are some environmentally friendly plant-pot alternatives being introduced, including pots made from coconut fibre, paper, rice-husks and biodegradable plastic growing bags. But any recyclable plant pot that industry develops containing even a small portion of plastic, recycled or new, must be mindful of the risk posed by degrading plastic chemicals that could build up in the environment and our food chain.

From June 25 to July 4, the National Plastic Recycling Event, sponsored by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, returns to communities across Canada.

Last year, the event diverted 24 metric tons (53,000 lbs.) of garden industry plastic from landfills to be recycled. The event is designed to offer gardeners an environmentally responsible way to dispose of their plastic plant pots and trays.

To find out which garden centres in your area are participating, visit www.canadanursery.com and click on "National Plastics Recycling Event" for a map.

One of the leaders in the plastic recycling effort is Loblaw Companies Ltd., owner of the President's Choice brand of annuals, hanging baskets and planters sold at Superstore.

According to Peter Cantley, vice-president of Loblaw, "We needed to be more responsible to the environment and cut down on the plastic that ended up in landfills."

Between 2008 and 2010, Loblaw's recycling program diverted more than 907 metric tons (two million pounds) of plastic pots/trays from the landfill and sent it back to a Canadian manufacturer for reuse. Cantley said, "Our recycling program is great for our customers, they no longer have to worry that their plastic pots/trays will end up in landfills." Loblaw is the only national retailer in Canada to annually execute such a recycling program coast to coast.

Todd Major is a journeyman horticulturist, garden designer, writer, consultant and organic horticulture teacher. For advice contact him at stmajor@shaw.ca.