Most of us head to Home Depot with a list in hand or a project in hand. Unless you are Really Progressing home may not be aimlessly wandering the streets. The retailer’s inventory is quite unique—but that doesn’t mean it’s limited, as these stores carry everything from bulky items to the smallest nuts and bolts. There’s one product Home Depot has on its shelves that some consumers aren’t happy about, but now there’s a petition to have it removed. Read on to find out what customers are asking these stores to stop selling.
Read this next: These 5 Things to Never Buy from Home Depot, Experts Warn
The word “invasive” only has a negative meaning, and when it is applied to plants, you must follow the warning exactly. According to the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service, invasive species are non-native to the US ecosystem and, when introduced, “could cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.”
Invasive plants can crowd out native species, and because they have no natural predators, they can spread quickly and without limit. According to the National Wildlife Foundation, they can disrupt food chains and species diversity. Removing and containing them is also very expensive, costing $21 billion a year, according to a study published in the journal in February. General environmental science.
With that in mind, it’s clear that you should avoid invasive species as much as possible. Unfortunately, you can accidentally buy them from the garden at Home Depot.
Invasive plants are a threat to the environment, but Home Depot currently sells a few in stores and online, including cogongrass, Chinese and Japanese privet, yellow flag iris, Japanese barberry, English ivy, and calli pear trees. . Now, a petition on Change.org has gained steam, calling on the home improvement retailer to stop selling these invasives altogether.
“Gardeners and homeowners trust Home Depot to sell plants that are beneficial to our homes, our environment, and our environment — plants that are destructive to our economy, our health, and our parklands,” the petition began. Lauren Taylor, reads. “Instead of improving things, Home Depot is causing a bigger problem by selling these invasive plants.”
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According to FFXnow, Taylor is a volunteer for the Fairfax County Invasive Management Area in Virginia, and was inspired to start the petition after seeing some invasive plants in Home Depot stores in Virginia. By Taylor’s calculations, Home Depot sells 35 plants that are considered invasive in one or more parts of the country, she told the news outlet.
“So, Home Depot, I’m sure they sell hundreds, if not thousands [units] “We’re just asking them to stop selling 35,” Taylor told FFxnow.
Since its launch earlier this summer, an online petition has been filed Ted DeckerHome Depot CEO and President, and Craig MenearChairman of the Board of Retailers – As of August 17, it has reached almost 50,000 signatures. It also has the support of several advocacy organizations, FFXnow reports, including Blue Ridge PRISM, Plant NOVA Natives, and the Urban Forest Alliance.
The best life I have contacted Home Depot for comment about the petition and the sale of invasive plants but have not heard back yet.
In the complaint, Taylor said Home Depot is “the worst place to unwittingly buy invasive plants.” However, it is not the only retailer to stock these dangerous plants, she said, adding that they are sold online and in gardens across the country.
“I don’t have to ask if the plant I buy will harm the planet or endanger my children’s future,” Taylor wrote in the petition.
He continued that the “uneducated general public” is the biggest problem, because they buy these plants “in small pots that look clean at the garden center”. The average gardener may not know that beautiful periwinkle flowers are invasive in 11 US states, or that the butterfly bush they buy is invasive in six.
“Many people feel completely powerless because invasive species are out of control,” Taylor wrote, prompting a call to action. “But we have to start somewhere, and Home Depot can start today. Stop selling invasive plants. Unless we make a change now, it’s only going to get worse.”
