Plastic Recycling - Our Commitment to Horticulture
East Jordan Plastics has been committed to plastic recycling since the early 60’s when we first began thermoforming plastic flats and plant inserts. Even then we realized the importance of plastic recycling. Today EJP has engineered and implemented a “closed loop” plastic recycling process that uses proven plastic recycling technology and that ensures maximum energy efficiency, and ultimately the highest quality recycled plastic products. The first plastics processing line of our 130,000 square foot facility in South Haven, Michigan has the capacity to recycle over 10 million pounds of plastic material annually. Other plastic recycling lines will be added as needed. At EJP we strongly believe that the best way to achieve sustainability is to recycle plastics, and reuse all of the plastic plant containers we manufacture. With this in mind, it is our position that the most sustainable growing container is a growing container made from recycled plastic.
We call our initiative Project 100%, and our goal is to spearhead a regional effort to ensure that all of the plastic used in making horticultural plant containers is recycled. It’s a lofty goal, we know, but we feel it’s the right thing to do– for both our industry and our planet.
Plastic plant container Recycling
There are many benefits to recycling
Recycled plastic plant containers can recover upwards of 60% of the energy put into processing the product initially.
• The recycling “closed loop” for plastic plant containers is repeated each time the plastic material is recycled with
significant energy recovery gains
• Recycled horticultural containers avoid landfills and are returned directly to the growing container manufacturing stream
• Recycling reduces waste removal fees by keeping growing containers out of dumpsters and landfills
• Recycling enhances the growing container industry’s public image as a wise steward of the environment by reusing
sustainable plastic growing containers
• Recycling creates opportunities for most plastic containers to be reused
• Recycling increases retail foot traffic as consumers return their plastic plant containers to garden centers
• Recycling achieves a better sustainable footprint due to trash reduction
It’s Easy to Recycle Plastics with East Jordan Plastics
- We recycle PS, PP and HDPE
• Remove excess soil and other debris from plant containers
Please separate material by type
• Polystyrene: labeled with #6
• Polypropylene: labeled with #5
• High Density Polyethylene: labeled with #2
- Palletize material
• Nest like-containers together and strap or wrap
• Nest products 90”-100” tall for single pallets or up to 48” for double stacking pallets
- Pick-up
• Truckload quantities are ideal. LTL quantities can be arranged
• We can easily coordinate pick-ups with deliveries of finished product
• EJP will also accept deliveries of used horticulture containers to our South Haven facility
Plastics Recycling Program - Questions and Answers
1. Where does East Jordan Plastics pick up plastic material?
East Jordan Plastics can pick up loads of plastic across the United States and in some areas of Canada.
2. Does East Jordan Plastics accept deliveries of plastic material for recycling?
Absolutely. Deliveries can be accommodated Monday-Friday, 7:00 am – 3:00 pm EST. Please call 269-637-3700 in advance to notify our shipping and receiving department.
3. What is the minimum quantity required for pick-up?
The minimum quantity for pickups is handled on a case-by-case basis. For LTL quantities, additional stops will have to be coordinated in order to fill the trailer. No minimum quantity is required for growers that can deliver recyclable plastic growing containers to our facilities.
4. Do I have to be a grower or customer of EJP to have them pick up my recyclable growing containers?
Anyone interested in recycling their horticultural containers can recycle them with EJP. However, purchasing your growing containers from EJP truly closes the horticultural container recycling loop.
5. Can multiple growers consolidate their material at a central location in order to build a load?
Yes, in fact it’s encouraged. When multiple growers are consolidating their plastic material at a central location for pick-up, it is important that each grower mark each individual skid with their greenhouse information. This ensures that everyone gets credited properly.
6. As a consumer, where can I recycle my used horticultural growing containers?
Right now, consumers can take their used growing containers to The Home Depot and Meijer Garden Centers in the mid-western United States. Collection carts are located at these stores throughout the spring and summer months. Our ultimate goal is to establish plastic recycling collection points with as many garden centers as possible throughout the United States and Canada.
7. Do I need to sort the containers by color?
Growing containers do not need to be sorted by color, just by plastic type.
8. Can multiple material types be picked up at the same time?
Yes, however each individual pallet or bale of plastic to be recycled must be comprised of the same material type.
9. How long does it take to schedule a pick-up once East Jordan Plastics has been notified?
For truckload quantities of plastic material, we can usually pick up within two weeks of being notified. When possible, we try to coordinate pick-ups of plastic to be recycled with the delivery of our finished growing container products or when a truck is in the area.
10. Can East Jordan Plastics pick up less than truckload quantities of plastic to be recycled?
Yes. We can pick up less than truckload quantities of plastic material. However, we need to coordinate pick-ups with other growers so that the returning trucks can be as full as possible. A full truckload of material is 26 skids stacked to 90”-100” in height.
11. How much does East Jordan Plastics pay for recyclable material?
Payment is dependent upon material type, quality of sorting, quantity of material, location, and current resin markets. For pricing in your area, call: 269-637-3700.
12. How do I get paid by East Jordan Plastics for my recyclable horticultural containers?
Payment can either be made by a credit to your account or by check. Many customers who purchase growing containers from EJP prefer to have their accounts credited. Checks are issued to customers who do not buy growing containers from EJP.
13. Does EJP have different pricing for delivered material vs. material that is picked up by EJP?
Yes. We have delivered pricing and FOB (your location) pricing.
14. Does East Jordan Plastics accept greenhouse film or empty soil bags for recycling?
We currently cannot accept greenhouse film for recycling. East Jordan Plastics is not an end-user of this type of plastic.
15. Does East Jordan Plastics accept empty plastic fertilizer bottles or other empty chemical bottles?
We do not accept fertilizer bottles or other chemical bottles for recycling. Our plastics recycling line is not designed to remove the contaminates that are associated with these plastic containers.
16. Do you accept plant containers that are made from “bio-resins” or that are biodegradable?
No. These materials cannot be recycled and used to make new growing containers from polystyrene, polypropylene, and high-density polyethylene.
17. Does EJP recycle tags and bench cards?
Yes. EJP will recycle polystyrene (PS #6), polypropylene (PP #5), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE #2) tags and bench cards. Obsolete unused tags and bench cards can be left in their original packaging. Unpackaged or used tags and bench cards need to be sorted by material type. Tags and bench card recyclables can be picked up with horticultural container recyclables. Signage with metal rings cannot be accepted.
Plastic Recycling
Please contact us to find out how you can participate in Project 100% and recycle you plastic growing containers!
Call 800.353.1190
East Jordan Plastics Recycling Program Brochure (PDF)
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©2010 East Jordan Plastics
A wholesale manufacturer and distributor of plant containers, nursery pots, flower pots, growing pots, plastic plant trays, shuttle pots,
shuttle trays, nursery containers, garden containers, plastic plant pots, seed starter trays, plant plug trays, flats and inserts.
We also have labels for growing pots, including in-house graphic design, printing, and labeling services for plant containers.