Horticulture plastic recycling in full swing

East Jordan Plastics (EJP), one of the largest thermoformers of horticultural containers in the U.S., announced its new recycling facility is now recycling plastic horticultural containers 24 hours a day.
The facility is equipped to recycle in excess of 10 million pounds of used horticultural containers annually. The 130,000 square foot facility’s location is central to major markets that East Jordan Plastics serves and is also convenient to both its production facilities in Beaverton and East Jordan, Mich.
East Jordan Plastics established a recycling system to feed the new facility by “closing the recycling loop” on horticultural containers. Collecting used containers from retail consumers and greenhouse/nursery operations was the missing link. A pilot program was introduced last year in conjunction with Masterpiece Flower Company, Elzinga and Hoeksema Greenhouses, Grand Flower Growers and major garden centers in the Midwest. Shipping carts were placed in each garden center with a banner identifying it as a recycling collection location for used containers. Customers brought back their used pots and flats, and shipping carts that formerly were empty when picked up from the stores now return to the growers with recyclable containers. Plant containers that can be reused by the greenhouses are retained by the grower. Containers that cannot be reused are sent to East Jordan’s South Haven facility to be recycled.
East Jordan’s goal is to recapture as many used horticultural containers as possible from the marketplace, including those from other manufacturers, and to make new containers from up to 100% recycled content.
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