Plastic Pot Recycling Program for VNLA Members

In the Fall of 2020, Ray DeFeo of Prides Corner Farms approached the VNLA about a possible joint effort to pilot a Plastic Pot Recycling Program in Vermont for VNLA members. We immediately said YES and the Zoom meetings began! We are so grateful to Prides Corner Farms for including us in the pilot program which was launched in 2021.  We are happy to report it was a success thanks to our members who hosted the drop off sites and to the many members who took the time to drop their containers off for recycling.  The program will continue in 2022 and you can find the drop off sites and schedule below.

Prides Corner Farm is a member of MPS (More Profitable Sustainability), a worldwide program that provides monitoring, certification and accountability for environmental impact. They report their usage of fertilizers, pesticides, energy, land and water to compare with other growers and finding ways to reduce their environmental impact. Because Prides is a large nursery, they produce enough waste to recycle it in bulk. Every year they recycle: 300,000 pounds of greenhouse film, 100,000 pounds of waste plastic, and 100,000 pounds of used plastic pots.

WHAT CAN BE RECYCLED:

All containers/plastic pots of any size (1 gal, 2, gal, etc) with the designation/symbol #2 and #5 plastics can be recycled. Pots must be separated into groups: #2 plastics in one group and #5 plastics in another group when bringing them to the VNLA collection sites. ALL POTS MUST be empty with no tags or trash. They do not have to be cleaned.

HOW CAN POTS BE RECYCLED:

Pots must be sorted according to #2 plastics and #5 plastics and they are dropped off at VNLA member collection sites.

WHO CAN RECYCLE:

For now this program is open ONLY to VNLA members. Individual sites may choose on their own to open up this recycling opportunity to non-VNLA members and/or the public.

WHERE CAN POTS BE RECYCLED:

Four VNLA members have graciously offered to be collection sites for this program for 2025.   Once the pots are collected at our VNLA member collection sites, Prides Corner Farms will be picking up the loaded, sorted pallets and truck them to East Jordan Plastics in East Jordan, Michigan. WOW!

DROP OFF SITES: 

• Evergreen Gardens | Waterbury Center
• Glebe Mountain Gardens & Landscapes | Londonderry
• Greenhaven Gardens & Nursery | New Haven
• Horsford Gardens & Nursery | Charlotte

WHEN CAN POTS BE RECYCLED:

In order to not overwhelm any one collection site we will have a staggered schedule so members will have multiple opportunities to participate in this program. If you have LARGE STOCKPILES of pots to recycle please stagger the amount you bring at one time to our collection sites. We do not want to overwhelm any one collection site.  AGAIN, the pots have to be pre-sorted into the #2 and #5 categories as they are dropped off. We do not want to make extra work/labor for our collection site hosts. Members can also make their own pallets and deliver “pallets” to these collection sites.

DROP OFF WEEKS:

• July 21 – 25, 2025
• July 28 – August 1, 2025
• August 18 – 22, 2025
• August 25 – August 29, 2025
• September 22 – 26, 2025
• September 29 – October 3, 2025

THANK YOU TO PRIDES CORNER FARMS & OUR COLLECTION SITES!

If you have any questions at all about what you can recycle and how it must be sorted please contact the VNLA office: hello@vnlavt.org.