NEWS/Commercial PR - Because there is no Plan C..ider?

A few days ago I noted a BBC slot about recycling plant pots, which was less than informative on the detail front.

Hence I wrote to one of the protagonists, Wyevale, to see if they could add more. Here is the PR kindly provided about a programme called their 10 Commitments, as supplied, but edited for length to apply just to the topic at hand:

Wyevale announces its sustainability action programme, “Plan Apple”

“Plan Apple”, is Wyevale's action programme to address the key sustainable development challenges facing the gardening industry. The first action is to offer customers a recycling facility for plastic plant pots. Wyevale is currently trialling a scheme at four stores, which invites customers to return pots to the Wyevale store for re-use or recycling.

While no real critique of Wyevale, I do note the term 'trialling', referring to four outlets, which was not quite how the BBC slot came across, to me at least. Here's hoping what seems to be a worthy and sensible recycling initiative takes off.

I look forward to mentioning it again when it is properly in place, active, and nationwide.

Addendum:

As it was kindly provided, here is a follow-up message to my query:

Plastic plant pots are the gardening equivalent of disposable plastic carrier bags. Wyevale alone sells over 25 million plants in plastic pots every year, and it is estimated that there could be up to 500 million pots sold annually by gardening suppliers.

As the UK’s largest garden centre chain, Wyevale is determined to lead the industry in highlighting the problem - and in doing something about it. It will therefore offer customers a free recycling facility for old and unwanted plastic plant pots, as an alternative to sending them to landfill.

Following a successful trial at its Woodlands garden centre, near Hinckley, Leicestershire, Wyevale is now planning to extend the scheme to 30 of its largest garden centres which commences at the end of May 2008. Further details will be announced in due course.

Observer - Are Bill and Ben trashing the planet? - A bit more on the matter, plus a few new links

Weeeee...d!

No, not a piece on the WEEE Directive.

Actually, it's about pots... plant pots.

I just watched a BBC News piece about the things, and it stuck a chord. Especially as I have hundreds in the garden cluttering things up.

Apparently there are 500 million made, and chucked away to landfill, a year.

So moves are afoot to recycle them.

Well, by a few isolated, and I bet uncoordinated by officialdom, places.

The piece mentioned garden centres Wyevale, and also recyclers Linpac. I have emailed the former for more details, and the latter don't have an email on their website, oddly.

And having been told to check your local area before heading off (wisely), I now head to the dire BBC website to see if they actually make it easy to DO what they SAY. It is a major beef of mine that they broadcast such stuff but often make it difficult to find out any more to act on their brief green pieces' advocacy.