Coming to the rescue of eco-friendly gardeners whose choice was previously limited to stoneware or cheap plastic pots and planters, EcoForms of Santa Rosa, California developed attractive sustainable pots.
EcoForm pots are made from by-products of renewable and sustainable crops, namely grain husks (primarily rice hulls) and natural binding agents (a combination of starch based, water soluble binders and biodegradable additives). Under average use and conditions, they'll last five years and are freeze and thaw resistant. Once discarded into a landfill, decomposition will take place, with the products breaking down into nutrient-rich organic matter with a PH value of 7.0.
Combining sustainability with eco-chic, the pots have a smooth finish and come in a variety of shapes and natural colours, in both decorative and grower lines. The products were developed by Sweetwater Nurseries in cooperation with an Asian manufacturing partner. EcoForm is currently only available on the West Coast of the United States, sold at nurseries and green-minded retailers such as Whole Foods.
Similar products are being developed and manufactured by British Earth Buddy, Canadian BioPot and Australian EnviroArc. However, sales networks are limited and this sounds like a growth market in every sense of the word. EcoForms welcomes enquiries from wholesalers, as well as custom orders from buyers interested in developing proprietary designs, styles, trays or colours.
Website: www.ecoforms.com
Contact: sales@ecoforms.com
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Hi TS,
Thanks for your input. I agree that fuel and energy for packaging and distribution have to be taken into account, and ideally manufacturing would be local. However, terracotta and metal aren't practical or affordable for all purposes, and Ecoforms do seem to be an eco-friendly alternative to plastic.
Planter and pots are not 'thrown away' after 5 years. They can be planted into the earth and return into the earth's natural life-cycle.
Our pots utilize agricultural by-products and other renewable plant fiber. Not just the manufacturing is environmentally friendly but we try to make the entire process so. The manufacturing pollution produced and energy requirements of pressed plant fiber is very low.
To raise any comparisons to terracotta or metal is just foolish. The amount of pollution these make in their manufacturing as well as their ability to be degraded (terracotta and ceramics end up on landfills - metal recycling is a very energy intensive and not 100% is recycled). Delivery and distribution costs will be similar to any other of the products you mention, no? unless you are growing/making your own products at home, these costs are inevitable.
Putting the environmental benefits and the great qualities and looks of our pots, i think they are definitely a good thing.
Enviroarc Biodegradable Pots
http://www.enviroarc.net
Bio-degradeable pots have been available for years.In the USA, pots such as those in the article are sold to the public with a plant in them ( at Walmart, grocery stores etc.). The real advantage of these new pots is the whole works, pot and plant can be stuck in the ground.
However, the actual buyer of pots is the wholesale grower, who sells to a distributor/wholesaler. Unfortuneately, the benefits are to the consumer, not any of the businesses in the grower-distribution-retail chain so there is little impetus for the industry to adopt biodegradeable pots; some producer of pots is going to have to spend a bunch of money to build consumer demand.
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For Atique Trading Co
Shahrukh Ilyas
Marketing Executive
These are definitely better than using plastic pots, which are routinely thrown away after as little as one use in the nursery industry. We have purchased a number of them (the ecoforms line)where I work, and most people focus on how beautiful they are, unaware that they are biodegradable. This is a huge step forward for greening up a green industry.
Dear Marsha-
How absurd? Your logic is unclear.
Throw away your planters/pots after 5 years ?
This would be like praising the paper coffee cup.
The fuel and engergy for packaging and delivery /distribution & manufacturing these disposable items certainly eliminates the benefits- Where as terracotta or metal containers will last for decades.
What is so ecological about this?
TS | December 8, 2006 6:23 PM