Bio-degradable pots, good or bad?

Recently I bought some plants which came in the 'new' bio-degradable pots. Reading the attached label, which looks and feels like plastic, it says 'This label and pot will bio-degrade and can easily be composted', and further informs me that both are made from 'PLA [Polylactide acid] Bioplastic made from maize'

Now at first sight, this would appear to be a good idea, anything which is durable and holds it's shape when wet, yet purports to be 'easily composted' must be a good idea, mustn't it? Much better than traditional plastic pots, especially if like me, you live in an area where there are no facilities for the recycling of plastics.

And yet, I can't help wondering if they're really as good as we're being led to believe. For example, just how 'easily' are these pots are actually going to compost - they're rock hard and seem impervious to water.

Secondly, as I understand it, some bioplastics, (such as PLA), are made from genetically modified corn/maize - crops which may be harmful to the environment.

Whilst there is nothing to suggest the pots I've got are made from GM maize, even DEFRA hasn't ruled out it's possible future use - '.. we agreed in principle to the commercial cultivation of the GM maize .... subject to certain conditions' and 'We do not expect any commercial cultivation of GM crops here within the next few years, but beyond that it is not possible to say when the first crop might be introduced ...'

Considering that each year millions of pots are sold, bought and thrown away by nurseries, garden centres (and us gardeners), is it just a matter of time before they're made from (GM) maize and, even with their bio-degradable properties, do you think they're a good idea?

 

No expert here Fidgetsmum but I think you're on swings and roundabouts with those pots.
I would take a good pinch of salt with that blurb. Would be so much more palatable.
Love to hear what our chemists/biologists have to say.

 

Not come across these yet but earlier efforts at 'bio-degradability' caused the plastic to break down into small pieces as the molecular structure fell apart. The usual causes of degradation are the effects of sunlight so could be a bit slow in our climate?

I would not worry too much about the possibility of GM products being used as these are generally unavailable in sufficient quantities to be useful as polymer substitutes.

 

I think those tetra pak cartons that ready-made sandwiches come in are now also using this type of bio-plastic. As well as being able to biodegrade (in less than the several hundred years of 'normal' plastics), I understand that they take less energy to produce and release less greenhouse gases whilst breaking down. Although they seem impervious to water, they will actually gradually absorb water molecules, which will in turn break down the plastic to a size that can then be digested by bacteria. This process should take no more than a couple of months. You can read the proper scientific stuff on Wikipedia, but I'd wait until you're really struggling to get to sleep one night!
I can't personally, really see any down side to biodegradeable pots. The question of GM crops is probably a totally separate issue, though.

 

On a slightly different note, I made a herb bed last year, and we bought a rosemary and a mint from 'The Hairy Pot Company' - both pretty tough plants really. Everything we planted survived the winter really well, except the two in the hairy pots.

The idea with these is that you plant the whole lot, and the pot rots down in the soil and stops the plant having to be repotted. Ha! When I dug up the dead plants they were both inside the hairy pot, which had not decomposed at all, and neither had been able to put out further roots.

What a waste of time and money!

 

I make my small pots out of the plastic which the compost comes in. Cut out a suitable sized oblong, roll it round a suitable sized tin and stick with brown parcel tape. It takes five pieces about 15mm X 50mm (50mm tape). after you've used them they can be wiped and remade again and again. It not only saves the manufacture of pots but the transport and you going to buy them.

 

I have had exactly the same problem with these pots not biodegrading. However I still buy them because my local garden centre sells them 3 for £10.00. I carefully tease the plants out of the pots, not always easy if their roots have become entangled in the fibres, but still possible.

 

I had pondered that myself - will give it a go! Thanks Aaron

 

I bought a couple of plants in these pots during a visit to Eden a few weeks ago. I was advised to take them out of the pot before planting.

 

yep, I brought a couple of hostas in hairy pots 2 years ago - 2 others were doing brilliantly, these weren't so dug them up to move them and surprise surprise, the pots were whole! bah! Ater 2 years?! sigh!

 

I found that you can encoura

 

If the roots are very entangled with the fibres, cut away as much of the fibre as possible and then plant what is left.

I too dug up a Hosta, to divide it and found more than 50% of the pot still intact after two years.

 

:flag::flag::flag:

Went into the local garden centre today and saw the so called biodegradable plastic pots!

When first posted on here, I thought they were something like the Jiffy pots, and they can take their time rotting away, especially if the rim should be near the surface.

I did not realise that they looked the same as proper plastic pots.

Call me old fashioned, but when I buy pots I would like them to be indestrucible and last for ever.

These people are con artists, if no one was taken in and bought their products, they would soon revert to proper pots.

We are supposed to reuse and recycle everything according to our political masters, yet here some crew has manufactured a one trick pony pot, whatever next?

:gnthb: