Bioplastic Container Cropping Systems: Green Technology for the Green Industry

The variety and number of plants grown in pots (containers) is astonishing. In the United States alone, more than 4.5 billion containerized plants are produced per year by the horticulture specialty-crops industries, and nearly all of them are grown in single-use, petroleum-based plastic containers. Efforts are made by a few to re-use or recycle some of these containers, but the unfortunate reality is that less than 2% are repurposed, and a staggering 98% end up in the solid waste stream. Horticulture containers made of bioplastics and biocomposites have strong potential as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastic containers. This book represents the first comprehensive report on the development and utilization of bioplastic horticulture containers for use as sustainable alternatives to the petroleum-based containers that are ubiquitous in the green industry and in garden sheds around the globe. Topics include the development, availability, cost, processability, performance, biodegradation, economic feasibility, marketability, and sustainability of bioplastic horticulture containers that provide all of the functional advantages of petroleum-based plastic containers, while strongly improving sustainability and reducing environmental impact.