Flowers are one of the greatest gifts from Mother Nature. They are gorgeous, fragrant, natural – grown-from-the-earth, and also provide health benefits. With an abundant variety of colors, shapes, designs, and textures, flower experts create many awe-inspiring arrangements that are truly remarkable. Working with the precious gift of flowers, we know it’s important to we source our flowers in an environmentally friendly manner to protect the ecosystem for generations to come. This is why it’s important florists practice sustainable floristry as much as possible. Here at Adrian Durban Florist, Cincinnati’s Premier Florist, we are doing what we can to reduce our overall carbon footprints and joining in on the movement with other florists to perform environmentally-conscious practices.
Ways Florists Are Practicing Sustainable Floristry
Sourcing Slow Flowers
Slow flowers are flowers that are grown and harvested as close to home as possible and done in an eco-friendly manner. Buying local avoids further polluting the environment due to transporting products from far away. If certain types of floral products must be imported, it’s of vital importance that they are sourced from eco-friendly and certified sustainably grown farms. Included in this category are flowers grown outside instead of in greenhouses which can use up a lot of energy. Many florists who have green-houses, though, are using more energy-efficient greenhouses which uses a lot less energy than older ones.
No Foam
The green floral foam which has been a staple for many florists over the past 60 years is a one-time use plastic product that is not bio-degradable and is very bad for the environment. Avoiding the use of this harmful non-eco-friendly product is a huge step in cutting down on all of the plastic that is choking our seas and marine life. Substitute products such as re-usable chicken wire, twigs, moss, or other earth-friendly mechanics are becoming more popular with florists – for good reason.
Composting and Recycling
Composting as much as possible, using recyclable products, and cutting down on waste are actions all florists should take to be more eco-friendly. Besides other actions like conserving water, cutting down on chemicals, and recycling, many florists encourage customers to bring in old flower vases or their own special vase to put that beautiful flower arrangement into.
Reduce the Use of All Plastics
Besides ditching the green foam, using newspaper or recycled paper instead of plastic to wrap flowers as well as using recyclable or compostable materials for cards and tags is much more earth-friendly than using plastic.
Why Sustainable Floristry Important
We owe it to the planet, our children, and future generations to do as little damage as possible to the eco-systems that support our life. Using sustainable products is a good start. What’s a sustainable product? It’s a product that over its entire life-cycle, from origin to disposal, has created no damaging impact on the environment, is not harmful to the public health, and provides social and economic benefits. This means paying a fair wage for workers, avoiding child labor, and unethical labor conditions. When eco-friendly practices are followed, we all benefit.
For more information on sustainable floristry or if you have any questions about how you can, please contact Adrian Durban Florist now.
