Sonoco is manufacturing eco-friendly ReadyGrow planters for the spring herbs of Metrolina Greenhouses. The delivery of the first batch of planters was made in the beginning of March.
The ReadyGrow planters are developed from 100% recycled paperboard manufactured in Sonoco’s Hartsville paper mills. They can be moved and maintained under commercial greenhouse conditions. Within a period of six months, the planters will biodegrade in the soil. The patent-awaiting planter is easy to use and the entire pot can be planted in the soil, thereby avoiding untidiness and minimizing the quantity of plastic being transferred to landfills.
Abe VanWingerden, President of Metrolina Greenhouses, stated that the company is the first to promote Sonoco’s ReadyGrow planters that enable customers to easily plant them in the soil. He said that growing the spring herbs in biodegradable planters makes the company’s products more sustainable and also minimizes their net carbon footprint by involving a local packaging supplier. He added that Sonoco’s paper mills are located just 100 miles away from the company, ultimately benefiting the clients, surroundings and the supply chain.
According to James Harrell, Vice President of Industrial Carriers Division, the ReadyGrow planters offer sustainable packaging and are easy to plant. The transportable ReadyGrow pot enables retailers to provide a reliable package that will not rip apart when irrigated or picked up from greenhouse trays.
ReadyGrow planters are permeable and oxygen can diffuse to the roots through the pot. The company’s RootGuard technology offers sustainable coating to assure that the planter survives greenhouse irrigation and upholds better water assimilation in the soil. After planting, the coating cracks down, enabling the roots to go through the planter and spread out into the soil to assimilate nutrients and water, reducing transfer shock to the plant.