A CHEAT'S GUIDE to buying sustainable flowers in 5 SIMPLE STEPS

SUMMARY

1.        Use your local florist, either store front or online

2.       Ask for fresh or naturally dried flowers

3.       Ask for seasonal, locally grown and field grown flowers

4.       Ask for a hand tied bouquet

5.       Ask for your bouquet to be wrapped in recyclable paper

The WHY behind the 5 SIMPLE STEPS

1.        Support your local florist

WHY? YOU CAN DRIVE THE SUSTAINABLE FLORISTRY REVOLUTION.

Floristry can only become more sustainable if you, as the customer, demand it! Be the voice for this change! Put your money where your mouth is and show that you value florists and flower growers making sustainable choices to provide quality flowers in Australia.

WHY NOT to buy cheap flowers from chain stores?

Cheap flowers are less likely to be fair-trade and sustainable. Somewhere down the line costs are being cut either by not paying someone a living wage or not using fair, safe and sustainable floricultural and floristry practices.

Choose me! Your local Western Australian florist committed to the sustainable floristry revolution. 

2.  Fresh & naturally dried flowers

WHY? YOU CAN REDUCE WASTE

Fresh and naturally dried flowers are compostable. Remove the twine holding your bouquet together and place bouquet in your green garden waste bin or FOGO bin (depending which one your council has) or home compost.

Naturally Dried flowers are air-dried upside down and are untreated with any preservatives or dyes.

WHY NOT to buy preserved flowers?

Artificially preserved, bleached, synthetically dyed, spray-painted or glittered flowers are not compostable and end up in landfill adding to waste creation.

If you are looking for dyed flowers, ask for flowers dyed with vegetable dyes.

If you are looking for preserved flowers ask for flowers preserved with vegetable-based glycerine.

3.  Seasonal, field grown & locally grown blooms

WHY? YOU CAN REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS.

Seasonal, field grown and locally grown flowers have a lower carbon footprint. 

Why? Flowers grown locally travel less distance and don’t travel by plane. They thereby use less fossil fuels meaning they create lower carbon emissions. Flowers travelling internationally or interstate have further distances to travel and are transported by plane. They therefore use more fossil fuels creating more carbon emissions.

Why? Seasonal and field grown flowers are grown in the field at the time of year that they naturally flower. Unseasonal and hot house grown flowers are grown out of season in temperature controlled hot houses using fossil fuels to maintain warm temperatures. Thereby creating more carbon emissions.

If you are buying international flowers, ask for ones that are seasonal, field grown and have with a fair-trade certification.

My garden grown Australian wildflowers are seasonal and field grown. I supplement my garden grown flowers with seasonal and field grown flowers from my local state of Western Australia. 

4.  Hand-tied bouquets

WHY? YOU CAN REDUCE PASTIC WASTE!

Hand-tied bouquets are tied with twine and have NO FLORAL FOAM.

WHY NOT to buy flowers with floral foam?

Floral foam is a microplastic that ends up in our water ways and soil. Microplastics do not break down but remain in our environment. Microplastics have been found in all kinds of living things including humans. Scientific research is being done to determine the effects of microplastics on our health.

BONUS!

YOU can use that vase that's been sitting in your cupboard growing dust. We live in a world of overconsumption, and my theory is that we already have enough vases and glass jars to last us until the end of time! Use what is already in your cupboard, repurpose a glass jar, buy second-hand or if its for an event, rent vases instead of buying new.

My bouquets are hand tied and made to fit repurposed glass jars

5.  Recyclable Paper Wrappings

WHY? YOU CAN REDUCE WASTE!

Recyclable paper wrappings can be placed in your yellow recycling bin. Better yet, If your flowers aren’t travelling far, ask for NO wrappings or simply for some newspaper.

WHY NOT to buy flower in plastic wrappings?

The use of plastic wrappings, ribbons, ballons and other accessories creates more waste. They end up in landfill and add to plastic pollution.

My bouquets are wrapped in recyclable brown paper

YOU ARE ALREADY A HERO! for taking the time to read this post and educate yourself on sustainable floristry. Give yourself a pat on the back.

Check out my social media reel: How to buy sustainable flowers this Valentine's

Note: These five steps are a simple guide for purchasing sustainable flowers. Not everything that is worth considering when purchasing flowers has been addressed.

References:

Sustainable Floristry Network. Available from: https://www.sustainablefloristry.org/resources/

Dietary and inhalation exposure to nano- and microplastic particles and potential implications for human health. World Health Organization. 2022. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240054608