click to enlarge
Compostable planter pots are considered environmentally-friendly as they are made from materials that are compostable. Thus waste volumes are reduced. Most nurseries use plastic pots that they say are recyclable, but depending on the time they take for degrading they cannot really be considered as compostable. However plastic pots can be washed and reused a number of times and are good as an option for reducing waste.
There are a number of other alternatives to plastic that can be considered really eco-friendly because the materials they are made of are truly biodegradable. You can get pots that are made of coir fiber, which is the outer shell of coconuts. These are excellent alternatives to the plastic pots. In a number of developing countries like India, garden pots are earthenware pots that are made from locally available clay. The pots are made on a potter’s wheel and sun dried before being put into a kiln for hardening. These pots are fragile and require careful handling. Plant pots are also made from sphagnum peat and recycled wood fiber. They can be used as biodegradable flowerpots. Another advantage of biodegradable planters is that they can be planted straight into soil and the roots will just grow through them. So if you have plants that do not like their roots disturbed, nurture them in biodegradable pots and then plant the pot straight into the ground without removing the plant.
Compostable pots are available at most nurseries and garden material suppliers. You can also order from online stores, though you may have to order in sufficient quantities to reduce shipping costs.
Image Source: Wikipedia : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sparrmannia5.jpg
