Greenhouse Grower Magazine: Grower Survey

Healthy Pots, Healthy Planet is an initiative of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. Our mission is to reduce the use of petroleum-based plastic plant containers by advocating for and promoting sustainable alternatives. We are interested in the perspectives of suppliers regarding petroleum-based plant pots and alternative pots.Thank you for helping us by completing this survey.

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1. What percentage of your container use would you estimate is petroleum-based plastic?

100

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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2. What sizes of petroleum-based containers do you work with? Check all that apply.

Flats/plugs

Quarts

Gallons

> Gallon

N/A

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3. What percentage of your container use would you estimate is alternative pots (pots made from natural, compostable material or bioplastics)?

100

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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4. What sizes of alternative containers do you work with? Check all that apply.

Flats/plugs

Quarts

Gallons

> Gallon

N/A

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5. If you currently use alternative containers, or have used them in the past, have you been satisfied with their performance?

Yes

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6. If you answered "No" to Qustion 5, would you like to tell us more?

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7. If you have used alternative containers, what were they made from? Check all that apply.

Paper

Wood fiber

Manure

Coir

Peat

Starch

Bioplastic/Biopolymer such as PLA (polyactic acid)

Other (please explain below)

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8. Is your production automated?

Yes

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9. Do your customers ever request alternative containers?

Yes, a significant number

Yes, a growing number

Rarely

Not at all

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10. How do you feel about petroleum-based plastic plant containers? Check all that apply.

They perform well and enable me to meet my production goals.

They are affordable.

I know what to expect when using them.

I use them because there are few alternatives that meet my needs.

I am concerned about their environmental footprint (energy, pollution, microplastics, toxicity).

I am concerned that they are difficult to recycle.

I am concerned that they are often treated as single-use containers and go to landfills after one use.

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11. How do you currently dispose of petroleum-based plastic containers? Check all that apply.

We re-use them.

They are donated for re-use.

They go to a recycling facility.

They are picked up by a recycling company that specializes in containers.

We don't have many extra containers to dispose of.

They go to trash.

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12. If you do not re-use plastic pots, what are the reasons? Check all that apply.

I am concerned about contamination.

They should be cleaned and I do not have time for that.

I do not have the space to store them.

I don't have a simple, dependable supply chain that would provide them.

Other (please explain below)

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13. What disposal options would you like to have? Check all that apply.

Home compostable

Industrial compostable

Plantable

Easily recyclable at a facility close to me

I am satisfied with sending used pots to landfills and/or incinerators

Other (please explain below)

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* 1. What percentage of your container use would you estimate is petroleum-based plastic?

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* 2. What sizes of petroleum-based containers do you work with? Check all that apply.

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* 3. What percentage of your container use would you estimate is alternative pots (pots made from natural, compostable material or bioplastics)?

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* 4. What sizes of alternative containers do you work with? Check all that apply.

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* 5. If you currently use alternative containers, or have used them in the past, have you been satisfied with their performance?

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* 6. If you answered "No" to Qustion 5, would you like to tell us more?

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* 7. If you have used alternative containers, what were they made from? Check all that apply.

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* 8. Is your production automated?

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* 9. Do your customers ever request alternative containers?

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* 10. How do you feel about petroleum-based plastic plant containers? Check all that apply.

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* 11. How do you currently dispose of petroleum-based plastic containers? Check all that apply.

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* 12. If you do not re-use plastic pots, what are the reasons? Check all that apply.

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* 13. What disposal options would you like to have? Check all that apply.

1. What percentage of your container use would you estimate is petroleum-based plastic?

2. What sizes of petroleum-based containers do you work with? Check all that apply.

3. What percentage of your container use would you estimate is alternative pots (pots made from natural, compostable material or bioplastics)?

4. What sizes of alternative containers do you work with? Check all that apply.

5. If you currently use alternative containers, or have used them in the past, have you been satisfied with their performance?

6. If you answered "No" to Qustion 5, would you like to tell us more?

7. If you have used alternative containers, what were they made from? Check all that apply.

8. Is your production automated?

9. Do your customers ever request alternative containers?

10. How do you feel about petroleum-based plastic plant containers? Check all that apply.

11. How do you currently dispose of petroleum-based plastic containers? Check all that apply.

12. If you do not re-use plastic pots, what are the reasons? Check all that apply.

13. What disposal options would you like to have? Check all that apply.