At Harlequin’s Gardens, we’ve been reusing and recycling black plastic nursery pots since day one. It is very important to us that we minimize our plastic waste. We have always encouraged our customers to bring back to us the nursery pots that came with the plants you purchased from us, and you have responded with enthusiasm, which we appreciate!
But many people have brought us pots that we cannot reuse and cannot recycle, and this has been costly for us. For us to be able to afford this pot drop-off service, we need your help! This year we would like to clarify exactly which pots we can accept and use. Following these requirements is the first way you can really help us out!
We can re-use ONLY the following pots and trays, as long as they are black plastic, empty, not melted, not cracked or broken:
Black plastic 2.5” square
Black plastic 4.5” square (aka Quart)
Black plastic 6.25” diam. x 7.25” round (aka #1 or ‘1 gallon’)
Black plastic 8.75 – 9”” diam. x 8” deep round (aka #2 or ‘2 gallon’)
Black plastic 11” – 12” diam. x 10” – 11”deep round (aka #5 or ‘5 gallon’)
Black plastic molded trays to fit 2.5” pots or 4.5” pots
We also recycle nursery pots, and you can too! But there are limitations. ONLY pots with the recycling codes 2 or 5 in the little triangle can be recycled by EcoCycle. The smaller size pots, 2.5” and 4.5” are made of a different plastic formula, are much thinner, and are marked with a recycling code of 6, which cannot be recycled, at least not by EcoCycle. They go in the trash to the landfill. But if you are careful with them and don’t allow them to get broken, cracked or melted, you can bring them back to us for re-use! Please store your pots out of the sun (preferably indoors). Even in winter the sun can warp and melt them.
The second way you can help us out is with a donation to our pot sorting and processing fund. To make it easy for you to make a small donation, we’ll post a sign with a QR code so you can pay from your smartphone. We appreciate your help!
We have sample pots mounted display board at our pot recycling drop-off area. When we are open, please visit and take a look at the samples of pots and trays we accept on the board before you bring pots to drop off. Thank you so much!