{"id":1072,"date":"2023-04-13T14:33:52","date_gmt":"2023-04-13T21:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.figarosgarden.ca\/?p=1072"},"modified":"2023-06-01T11:35:58","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T18:35:58","slug":"putting-the-green-back-in-gardening-with-launch-of-low-waste-growing-product-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.figarosgarden.ca\/putting-the-green-back-in-gardening-with-launch-of-low-waste-growing-product-line\/","title":{"rendered":"Putting the Green Back in Gardening with Launch of Low Waste Growing Product Line"},"content":{"rendered":"

Figaro\u2019s Garden owner Hartley Rosen is passionate about waste in the gardening industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s this perception that we\u2019re in a green industry because ultimately, planting more trees and encouraging diversity through thoughtful gardening provides a benefit to our planet,\u201d he says. \u201cBut behind the scenes, the waste that comes along with it is just ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is the garden industry really green?<\/h2>\n

Figaro\u2019s Garden may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking about waste in the retail sector. But for Hartley, who has seen firsthand the single-use products and packaging that dominates the industry, the waste is untenable.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly difficult to get away from single-use plastic,\u201d says Hartley. Plants are grown in plastic nursery pots, soils and amendments come in plastic bags, and plant tags are\u2014you guessed it\u2014made of plastic. With 22 years\u2019 involvement in the horticulture industry (he was the director of the Environmental Youth Alliance prior to purchasing Figaro\u2019s Garden 10 years ago), Hartley knew he needed to do things differently.<\/p>\n

Challenging ourselves to do better<\/h2>\n

\u201cMany of our customers live in smaller spaces and grow in containers, so we sell a lot of potting soil,\u201d Hartley says. \u201cPeople also come to us for our specialty soil mixes and indoor tropical plants, and of course all their fertilizers and other growing supplies.\u201d All of these products have traditionally been packaged in plastic bags\u2014until now.<\/p>\n

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Figaro’s Garden Owner Hartley Rosen planting an espaliered apple tree with his daughter. (Apples are another of Hartley’s many passions!)<\/p><\/div><\/dt>\n

On April 22\u2014Earth Day 2023\u2014Figaro\u2019s Garden is launching a new line of products packaged in responsible, plastic-free packaging. The 21 products include indoor and specialty potting soils; fertilizers and amendments; and bird seed. Outdoor soils, including organic garden soil and a potting blend, will be transitioned to the new packaging later in the spring.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

The hope is that, by packing our most popular products using responsible materials, Figaro\u2019s Garden can help reduce single-use plastic waste in Vancouver. On top of that, we were able to work with local suppliers to create soil blends customized to our specifications.<\/p>\n

Delivering a better product<\/h2>\n

We\u2019re thrilled that we\u2019ve been able to address some of the product quality issues we\u2019ve been dealing with in recent years, and are really proud of the improved soil blends\u2014in particular, our new tropical potting blend<\/a>\u2014we\u2019ve developed in collaboration with Langley-based West Creek Farms.<\/p>\n

The result is a better product with less waste\u2014and a lower cost to consumers. “We\u2019re able to save money by buying in bulk, and can pass that along to our customers,\u201d says Hartley, who adds that he estimates that Figaro\u2019s Garden will eliminate upwards of 6,000 plastic bags annually.<\/p>\n

Responsible packaging<\/h2>\n

Products in the Low Waste Growing line are packaged in recycled paper, returnable glass, and compostable burlap.<\/p>\n

We went through several iterations, trying to find the most sustainable, most effective materials for packaging these products, and ended up going with different materials depending on the product.<\/p>\n

Liquid fertilizers\u2014including liquid organic fish<\/a> and all-purpose kelp<\/a> fertilizers\u2014are packaged in returnable, refillable glass jars. Customers who return and refill their jar can enjoy 10 percent off the refill price.<\/p>\n

Outdoor soils are packaged in burlap bags, which can be composted in Vancouver green bins or reused in the garden.<\/p>\n

Dry fertilizers, amendments<\/a>, bird feed<\/a>, and specialty potting blends<\/a> are packaged in recycled paper bags that are 60% compostable and 40% biodegradable.<\/p>\n

The paper bags are lined with PLA<\/a>, a biodegradable material that strengthens and improves the durability of the bag, which is important for products that may contain a little moisture or are too dusty to pack in burlap. Going this route was a tough compromise for Figaro\u2019s because, while PLA is compostable in many jurisdictions, it is not yet accepted in Vancouver\u2019s green bin program.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not an ideal solution, but it\u2019s the best available right now,\u201d Hartley says.<\/p>\n

Committed to continuous improvement<\/h2>\n

We recognize that there\u2019s always more to do when it comes to sustainability. Reducing plastic in our packaging is a small step, but one we’re proud to have made. We are committed to continuing to seek opportunities to reduce waste, both in our packaging, and in our operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Figaro\u2019s Garden owner Hartley Rosen is passionate about waste in the gardening industry. \u201cThere\u2019s this perception that we\u2019re in a green industry because ultimately, planting more trees and encouraging diversity through thoughtful gardening provides a benefit to our planet,\u201d he says. \u201cBut behind the scenes, the waste that comes along with it is just ridiculous.\u201d Is the garden industry really … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1041,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPutting the Green Back in Gardening with Launch of Low Waste Growing Product Line - Figaro's Garden<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Products in Figaro's Garden's Low Waste Growing line are packaged in recycled paper, returnable glass, and compostable burlap.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.figarosgarden.ca\/putting-the-green-back-in-gardening-with-launch-of-low-waste-growing-product-line\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Putting the Green Back in Gardening with Launch of Low Waste Growing Product Line - 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