The Waste Hierarchy Pyramid

Here is a summary of what Walters Gardens, Inc. is doing to manage our waste in an environmentally responsible manner.

Prevention

• Replaced plastic pots with biodegradable Elle Plugs
• Integrated Pest Management focuses on prevention

Reduce

• Fertilizer reduction resulted in stronger plants that require fewer inputs
• High tech watering systems reduce waste of water and fertilizer
• Save labor, space, and time with streamlined greenhouse production
• Reduction in greenhouse temperatures saves energy
• Biomass burner reduces reliance on natural gas
• Heat retaining energy curtain reduces natural gas and electricity needs
• Reduced risk of wrist injuries as a result of field trimming and easier sorting Elle Plugs
• Paperless office reduced paper usage by 67%

Reuse

• Reuse of sterilized glass culture vessels and Petri dishes in tissue culture lab
• Repair and reuse of wooden cribs used to hold harvested field material
• Reuse of skids, knives, and sterilized planter trays for field prop stock

Recycle

• Over ¼ million pounds of paper, plastic, and metal items are recycled annually
• Plant waste from processing is spread back on fields

Energy Recovery

• Energy from cover crops and plant waste is returned to the soil to provide nutrients for future crops
• Energy from wood pellets is used in biomass burner to heat greenhouses

Disposal

• As little waste as possible is disposed.  We are always looking for new ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle