title: Determinants of recycling common types of plastic product waste in environmental horticulture industry: The case of Georgia.
abstract: Environmental horticulture firms provide a variety of commercial/residential landscape products and services encompassing ornamental plant production, design, installation, and maintenance. The companies generate tons of waste including plastic containers, trays, and greenhouse/field covers, creating the need to reduce and utilize plastic waste. Based on survey data collected in Georgia in 2013, this paper investigates determinants of the environmental horticulture firms' recycling decision (plastic containers, flats, and greenhouse poly). Our findings indicate that the decision to discard vs. recycle plastic containers, flats, and greenhouse poly is significantly influenced by firm scope, size, location, and partnership with recycling providers, as well as whether recycling providers offer additional waste pickup services. Insights from this study are of use to local governments and environmental organizations interested in increasing horticultural firm participation in recycling programs and lowering the volume of plastic destined for landfills.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urban Studies and Planning Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT), 105 Mass. Ave, Samuel Tak Lee Building 9-328, Cambridge, MA, 021039, United States. Electronic address: tmeng@mit.edu.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Production Engineering, Nowoursynowska 164, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: anna_klepacka@sggw.pl.
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Klepacka
authors.affiliation: The University of Georgia, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 1109 Experiment St., 212 Stuckey Building, Griffin, GA 30223-1797, United States. Electronic address: wojciech@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Wojciech J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Florkowski
authors.affiliation: The University of Georgia, Center for Urban Agriculture, Griffin, GA 30223, United States. Electronic address: kbraman@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Braman
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D005845:Georgia; D010969:Plastics / Q000032:analysis*; D059027:Recycling / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014866:Waste Products / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D014866:Waste Products
keywords: Greenhouse poly; Marginal effects; Multivariate probit; Ornamental horticulture; Plastic container; Plastic tray; Survey data