How does this drain/recirc?

[purzurples]

pic from 420mag gallery. A long time question of mine...
https://www.420magazine.com/gallery/data/829/IMG_04306.JPG

Pour food into these containers and the drainage..?
seeps out onto the white mat and..?
that's it? run to waste?

In fact most of the bigger setups/bigger rooms I see use similar setup,
just a bunch of 5-gallon containers or bags under lights.
how is it fed? where does the drainage go? and of course: this looks to me like you would be pouring 4 or 5 gallons of nutrient onto your crop and
letting it drain out all over the floor.?

 

[OG13]

The plastic keeps it from getting on the floor, what little leaches out the bottom of the pot. Those plants are in soil, hand watered when needed. It's just a big saucer. Probably reflects a little light back up too.

 

[purzurples]

sweet. I love hand watered systems. always windered about that.