Plastic Recycling Stalls and Outdoor Water Losses Climb: Landscape Innovations like Dirt Locker® Offer a Practical Path

Across the United States, two environmental pressures continue to intensify in parallel: the growing volume of unrecycled plastic and the rising strain on water resources. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, only 8.7% of U.S. plastic waste was recycled, while over 75% was landfilled, a trajectory scientists believe can be difficult to reverse without scalable, long-lasting applications for recycled materials.

At the same time, residential landscapes continue to lose extraordinary amounts of water. The EPA estimates that up to 50% of outdoor water use is lost through wind, evaporation, or runoff caused by inefficient irrigation systems.

These two concerns, excess waste and diminishing water efficiency, may seem like separate problems. But at their core, they reflect a broader pattern: the gradual disconnect between human-altered environments and the natural systems that once sustained them. Mark Trebilcock, founder of Dirt Locker®, puts the issue in simple terms: "Nature has been doing this a lot longer than we have. What if we could just give it a helping hand?"

That perspective frames the emerging conversation around regenerative landscape design, an approach that does not attempt to replace natural processes but rather seeks to support them. For Trebilcock, the question is not only how to reduce waste or use less water, but how to rebuild the conditions that allow soil, plants, and moisture to interact the way they did before human intervention.

According to Trebilcock, much of the stress on local ecosystems begins with how land is shaped and managed. When soil is compacted or vegetation is removed, rainfall has fewer pathways to soak into the ground, increasing the amount of water that runs off the surface. A study found that areas with disturbed or compacted soils generated significantly more runoff and contributed more sediment to waterways after rainfall events.

"When water cannot infiltrate the ground, plants struggle to establish deeper roots," Trebilcock explains. "Without that root structure, the soil is left vulnerable, and the cycle of runoff accelerates. In some regions, prolonged droughts can compound the issue, leading states to adopt water-use restrictions that affect both homeowners and agricultural communities."

Dirt Locker® enters the scenario as a practical tool designed to help landscapes function more like the natural systems they once were. Trebilcock founded the company on a simple insight: if sloped, eroded, or water-stressed land could be given structural support without interrupting natural processes, the soil could stabilize, plants could root deeper, and water could remain where it is needed most.

Dirt Locker® is built from recycled HDPE plastic, primarily post-consumer materials such as milk jugs, diverting waste that would otherwise enter landfills. The modular terracing cells interlock across a slope, forming a flexible, non-structural grid that slows water, captures soil, and gives plants a foothold to grow.

The U.S. Plastics Pact reports that plastic packaging in the U.S. contains only 11% post-consumer recycled content, with a packaging recycling rate of just 13.3%. By transforming recycled plastic into landscape infrastructure, Dirt Locker® aims to give discarded material a purposeful second life, one that supports water retention, soil health, and plant establishment rather than contributing to pollution. Trebilcock sees this as a critical step in shifting focus from merely collecting recyclable material to creating long-term uses for it. He says, "By honoring the materials already produced, we take less from the earth and give more back."

Functionally, the system reshapes how water moves across terrain. "Instead of flowing downhill and stripping away topsoil, rainfall settles into each cell before slowly infiltrating the ground," he says. This passive retention can help plants establish deeper roots, reduce the need for supplemental irrigation, and support soil organisms that cannot survive in dry, compacted conditions.

For homeowners living under these restrictions, or for communities facing ongoing drought, systems like Dirt Locker® can offer a way to work with the water they already receive rather than relying on irrigation. Stormwater management is another dimension. The EPA identifies uncontrolled runoff as a major contributor to overburdened municipal systems.

"By slowing runoff at the source, Dirt Locker® aims to help ease that burden," Trebilcock explains. "The cells hold soil and organic matter in place, reducing nutrient loss and limiting the volume of sediment that enters waterways, an often overlooked but critical part of watershed health." For Trebilcock, the environmental impact is not an abstract ideal but the heart of why the work matters. "Being able to help people while also reducing waste and supporting healthier landscapes is the most rewarding part of this journey," he says.

As plastic recycling rates remain below 10% and water shortages shape decisions across multiple states, Dirt Locker® represents the intersection of two urgent needs: reducing waste and restoring landscapes. "What began as a practical tool for gardeners has become part of a wider environmental conversation," Trebilcock says, "one rooted in the belief that if nature is given a chance, it knows how to repair itself."