Why be a Sustainable Floral Designer?

Hello everyone, I wanted to take a moment to discuss what it means to be a sustainable floral designer.

Before I ventured into floral design, I had no idea about the environmental impact of some floristry practices. I used to think that arranging flowers in 'floral foam' was a 'natural display', but I was mistaken. What I thought was 'floral foam' is actually single-use plastic that ends up in landfills.

It's shocking to consider that cut flowers might harm the environment. While flowers are perishable, the use of 'floral foam' and adding extras, such as balloons, soft toys, ribbons, bags, and excessive wrapping that often overshadows the flowers, we have an issue! All these items are single-use and eventually end up in our dustbins!

The global flower industry has expanded, with many flowers travelling thousands of miles to reach consumers. This, along with the need for refrigerated transport known as a 'cold-chain', increases our carbon footprint.

The use of pesticides not only exposes us to harmful chemicals but also significantly affects our agricultural environments. Flowers transported via the 'cold chain' are sometimes treated with pesticides to ensure they are free from pests or diseases.

It's worth noting that while we might buy a cheap bunch of flowers thinking we have a bargain, the person behind that 'bunch' might be working under very poor conditions. Therefore, I commit to being a floral designer who sources sustainably and creates genuine 'natural displays'.

As you follow my journey, perhaps I can guide you as customers towards new practices too—wouldn't that be wonderful?