Industry leaders call for container standardization

It wasn’t long ago that the green industry was in an uproar about defining the exact volume of plant containers. Now, some growers and retailers would like to see additional standardization. Discussion has begun about sticking with a uniform set of container sizes, drastically cutting back on the huge variety currently used.

It’s an idea that Platt Hill has been kicking around for some time. Hill owns Platt Hill Nursery, with locations in Bloomingdale and Carpentersville, Ill., and is president-elect of the American Nursery & Landscape Association’s retail board.

Hill has been discussing the need for standardization with his local colleagues. Many agree that such a move would offer many benefits to the industry. Namely, it would make it much easier for companies to reuse containers. Also, it would help pave the way toward more uniform recycling standards.

“We think it’s just clear and irrefutable that we need to come up with pot standards,” Hill said.

Hill brought this topic to the ANLA Senate at the organization’s annual meeting earlier this month. The association plans to do further research on the viability of this strategy. In the meantime, ANLA’s board passed a motion approving research into the production of pots with No. 1, 2 and 3 resins that could be placed in curbside recycling bins.

So where do you stand on this issue? Are there just too many different-sized containers out there? Or do you like the variety? Leave your comments below. And look for an in-depth discussion of this topic in the October issue of Garden Center Magazine.

-- Sarah

Comments

[William Evans]

A uniform standard would leave nothing more than price to compete on. This would probably not be the best thing for growers, retailers, or manufacturers (with the exception of the largest volume user that can extract the best price). If you support mass consolidation, and elimination of the smaller growers, retailers and manufacturers, uniform container standarization is for you.

[trey]

I agree with Williams comments. It's impossible for the consumer to compare what a 5 gallon Escallonia looks like at Home Depot compared to a 5 gallon Monrovia Escallonia. Both in so called 5 gallon sizes but quite different in plant size and vigor.

We already have to deal with the phone call that starts, "how much are your five gallon Escallonia?"

The more we standardize pot sizes and anything else in our businesses the the more it takes away from the smaller independent garden center. Remember what happened when they tried to get us to go metric? Hasn't happened yet.

[Graham Rice]

trey, I think you're way off. Consumers are smarter than that. "different in plant size and vigor" - quality, if you like - is exactly how they tell the difference between the two escallonias. And to say, William, that "A uniform standard would leave nothing more than price to compete on" denies the fact that consumers can tell a weak plant from a healthy one - and relate what they see to the price on the tag. Come on, give the customer a bit more respect.

[HERNANDO GOMEZ]

I think might be convenient to have standardization for trays (propagation and plug trays).

Regards,

[Joe Lamp'l]

Although I applaud their efforts, standard sizes will have little effect on the bigger problem. I believe the answer is to standardize the materials used to make the containers so they’re all recyclable, no matter what the size. It will no doubt take the cooperation from many sides. Our industry does great things to beautify the environment, but it needs to eliminate the impact left behind in doing so. I recently blogged about this as well (http://joegardener.typepad.com/dailycompost/) and I've submitted a column with the same message for my weekly syndicated column which will go out on the newswire on Monday, 8/11. As an industry, we do a lot to beautify the planet but we can and need to do more to clean it up too.

[Sarah]

Glad you mentioned the recycling issue, Joe. As I mentioned in my post, the American Nursery & Landscape Association board passed a motion approving research into the production of pots with No. 1, 2 and 3 resins that could be placed in curbside recycling bins.

I hope something results from this quickly. Here's another piece I wrote for our Project: Green Industry blog that addresses this issue: http://branchsmith.typepad.com/project_green_industry/2008/07/for-the-next-ge.html

[Carole]

I think it's a great idea. We try to encourage our customers to bring back pots( our pots) yet they always bring some back from other venture. Some I keep and many I have to throw away with reluctance. It would also make consumers more aware that they shouldn't be so quick to throw them out.

[Jane]

I agree with Hernando Gomez. We need to standardize the containers as to what they are made of. The more natural the containers the better for everyone. They will add to the soil and help prevent plant shock after planting and help protect our enviroment in the future.

[Jane]

I agree with Hernando Gomez. We need to standardize the containers as to what they are made of. The more natural the containers the better for everyone. They will add to the soil and help prevent plant shock after planting and help protect our enviroment in the future.

[Nancy Hansen]

The plastic pots we use in the nursery industry is a huge problem in the landfills. Whatever can be done to bring awareness to the fact that this plastic needs to be recycled needs to be done without more delay. If standardization is part of the answer, this should be done. (Size is not the only factor in a pot. Specifics of design, quality of plastic, etc., are still factors that will set different manufacturers apart.) Standardization of pot sizes would certainly be a huge help to anyone who has to sort and stack pots by size!

[Janice Zuck]

We are not sure where all of this talk about standardization of pot sizes might leave us as growers. We currently use previously used pots of many varying sizes from many manufacturers which our wholesale customers (landscapers and garden centers) bring to us. We are careful as to what plants we put in used containers to minimize disease problems from reusing these containers. We have been trashing ones that are broken and past their usability. We have looked into recycling them but have not been able to find a place to recycle them. Curbside recycling does not take them and anyone else in the recycling industry wants them super clean. However, one of our greatest concerns is the longevity factor when growing plants in the same container 5-6 years. Will we have to pop it into another container before the end of the 6 years because of container deterioration? This seems to be a possibility when the manufacturers make with a predetermined "shelf" (usage)life.

[donn sharp]

If containers are standardized,aren't you turning them into a commodity item. Manufacturers price plummets, creativity of the manufacturer is lost. Manufacturers have supplied a diverse product at the request of the grower, retailer, wlolesaler, nurseryman, Chain Store, and public, and that is the way that it should. Further, having been in this business for 50 years, I cannot imagine a industry that is made up of such independent people ever being dictsted to, as to size, shape, soil content etc of their containers. Besides product mix is so great, as is soil needs, enviromental greenhouse conditions. I think it is bad ides for the industry.

[Don Eaton]

The problem is real, we need to address the issue quickly. However, any regulations in any form is not needed. The last thing small growers need is more regulation. The answer is in standardized materials and to create our own uses and markets for our containers. I would think size and shape of the container is the last thing to regulate, plastics used in making the container is where the battle lies. Alternatives to plastic should be where our energies are focused, fix the real problem, not just soften our effects on the landfills. We need a container that has zero negative impact full circle.

[Samantha]

I have read through all of the above blogs and I agree that customers are a little smarter than we give them credit for, as stated by Graham. Also, I work for one of those container companies and in all honesty I have no problem with standardization in the industry, but as Donn states above, we have so many products in our lines at the request of the growers. There is the Trade Gallon, because growers wanted a cheater gallon; same with the Trade 6 pot because growers wanted a cheater 6". Don't even get me started on the number of tray configurations we have to have because this grower wants a 6-count and that grower wants an 8-count, oh but wait grower "C" wants a 6-count but staggered.

Where I have a little issue is discussing the "large" amount of horticulture plastic in today's landfills and the talk about "greener" pots. I understand that this is a huge issue to us and our children because we are living in the industry. Paper makes up 37% of landfills and plastic makes up 7% as a whole. That is including plastic water bottles and Americans drink 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.

The key might be standardization in containers, I know this would drastically cut down on the number of change overs that we have to do to meet the demand of the growers and would save energy. And the environment is a definite concern of every human. Let me leave you with a couple questions to think about: How many growers like being told what to buy, where to buy it from, and I don't care what it costs because I am not paying you any more for that flower in the spring? Those of you that used the non-plastic containers this year, were customers willing to pay more for them given the economic hardships? Did they dry out and crack easily?

I think more than standardizing pot sizes we ALL need to provide education to consumers as to where they can recycle their pots. Most horticulture containers are made from either polystyrene (#6) or polypropylene (#5). These two plastics are 100% recyclable. We even put the number symbol on the bottoms of most our pots just for the purpose of recycling.

One comment I don't agree with is regulating the plastic used in making the containers. All of you that are trying to make a statement with a "new" or "special" color for your pots are using up to 100% virgin material. Those of you that are using gray or black are using up to 100% recycled material. Plastic manufactures LIKE to use recycled material, it is better for the environment because recycled material uses less energy to make than virgin and it is cheaper. I ask Don how he would propose standardizing the materials used in plastic horticulture containers more than it already is.