Every step at Frank P Matthews is an environmentally conscious one.

Everything we do at Frank P Matthews is an environmentally conscious one not only with our local environment in mind but that of the world. We grow trees to improve ecosystems and restore and protect the natural balance so the last thing we want is to disrupt that balance by producing harmful waste and by-products. Sustainability is at the forefront of everything we do, from the way we grow our trees using peat-free, no pesticides and responsibly sourced water – how we operate using solar panels to generate electricity to our nursery, through to how our trees are packaged and sent to our customers. Some plastics are unavoidable in our current growing and sales process but we’re committed to sustainability, not just through the materials we choose but by helping our customers dispose of them responsibly. 

Here’s how we support this effort across each of our packaging elements and what you can be doing with your packaging to reuse, repurpose and dispose of it carefully. 

Pot Material & Design Choice

We manufacture our pots from recycled plastic and intentionally choose a green colour rather than the typical black. In the UK, black plastic plant pots are not accepted in home recycling, since sorting machines often can’t detect them. Non-black alternatives like green are far more likely to be accepted for recycling. 

Reuse and repurpose

First and foremost we want customers to reuse our pots. The pots are a generous size making them perfect for replanting, potting up and growing vegetables in like tomatoes, chilli peppers and even carrots. Wash in between uses and you have a sturdy pot without the need to buy new.

Dispose

If you do need to dispose of the pot from your tree then here are some responsible ways to do so safely:

Rinse Thoroughly
Clean pots to remove soil and debris, recycling can fail if items are contaminated.

Check Local Recycling Rules
Unfortunately recycling policies vary across some councils between who will accept clean pots in your home recycling or if you’re local Recycling Centres/Tip has a dedicated area for them

Use Take-Back Schemes
Leverage garden centre initiatives, your local nursery, garden centre or retailers like Dobbies or B&Q often accept plastic pots for recycling or reuse. You may also want to check with your local allotments, schools or community projects as they’re always in need of pots. 

Plastic Labels – Recycled & Recyclable

Material & Dual Function
Having sampled the durability of other materials we currently manufacture our tree labels from recycled plastic and have designed them to be recyclable, thus reducing the need for the use of virgin plastic in our label making. 

Reuse – We recommend the reuse of the labels for reference – you can keep with the tree so as not to forget or confuse the varieties (especially handy with fruit trees!).

Repurpose – If you’re happy with the reference aspect then why not repurpose the label for another variety, seedlings or marking in the garden. We’ve also been known to use our tree labels as bookmarks – adding practical value and reducing disposal.

Dispose – If you need to dispose of the plant label, then they are recyclable, just make sure they’re clean and you’ve checked your local policy before adding to your home recycling waste.  

Compostable Bags

We have eradicated the use of plastic completely from the bagging of our trees, instead replacing with compostable potato starch. This is a renewable material complying with European composting standards like EN 13432, which ensures full biodegradation under proper conditions. 

Reuse & Repurpose – You could reuse these bags to store smaller pots or labels or use in your home composting caddy to collect compostable waste. 

Dispose – If you have no requirement for the above, then add it to your home waste bin.

And this is just our plastic packaging. The box itself is fully recyclable and the best size if you’re looking to create no-dig beds and/or borders.