Sustainable Floristry - why its important & the choices available
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
You have received a beautiful flower arrangement or would like to send a gift to let someone know you are thinking of them. When selecting a florist, you consider location, the appeal of the flowers on the website or in the shop, and of course price. Another consideration might be what materials and methods are being used.
When gathering information for this blog, I realised that I had assumed there was little difference between biodegradable and compostable.
I thought biodegradability meant that a product would quickly break down into harmless elements and ultimately disappear. Often, this is not the case. Biodegradability means a product has the capability to break down into smaller pieces by exposure to bacteria or other living organisms in the correct conditions.
Just because something can break down into smaller bits, if those bits are still made of harmful elements, they can still negatively impact the environment.
Compostable materials have the capability to break down completely into non-toxic and often beneficial components when placed in the correct conditions. Compostable products don’t contain harmful ingredients, don’t break down into harmful components, and don’t contribute to environmental harm.
Like the large majority of florists, during my training, floral foam was used in most designs. Its quick and easy and convenient. We have hot summers - we want to know our flower deliveries and wedding flowers are going to hold up, and foam provides a water source. Very early on in my business, I started to wonder about the health impacts of using floral foam and from there, the impact on the environment. I researched and learnt alternative techniques using reusable materials. Thankfully, more alternatives are coming into the marketplace, although not many at the price point of floral foam.
As more florists voice concerns about sustainability in the floral industry, change is happening. Cardboard and alternatives are replacing plastic wrapping. A larger supply of locally grown flowers is available and continues to grow. Flower farms in other countries are focusing on water & chemical management, fair wages and their carbon footprint. Many top-tier farms are certified by organizations like Flor Ecuador, Rainforest Alliance, Veriflora, and Fair Trade, which mandate strict environmental stewardship.
Our hope is this information may help you in your decisions when choosing a florist and influence a positive change through support for sustainable practices.
A little about floral foam
Various options with floral foam with plastic cages.
Floral foam crumbles easily into tiny fragments in water, entering water ways as microplastics
A recent study looking at the impact on floral foam on aquatic animals showed that foam was consumed by all animals in the study. Image: Dr Charlene Trestrail.
Floral foam has been the medium of choice for professional florists and home decorators. You would have most likely encountered floral foam if you have had flowers delivered. While it makes arrangements quick and easy and keep flowers in place, from manufacture through to disposal, it is a problem for the environment.
First created in the 1950s, floral foam soon became established as a useful packaging support and design medium for modern florists.
Floral foam is a petroleum-based plastic made from phenol and formaldehyde polymers. It is an expanded thermoset plastic (similar to phenolic foam) mixed with wetting agents and surfactants to absorb water rapidly, designed to hold moisture for fresh flowers.
Plastics are typically not biodegradable, but they will eventually, over a very long period, break down or ‘degrade’ under other influences such as light, friction, heat or interactions with other chemicals in the environment. This process usually involves the material fragmenting into smaller and smaller pieces first. Once they are smaller than 5 millimetres in size, they are commonly referred to as microplastics.
Because floral foam does not dissolve in water (it just breaks into smaller and smaller pieces), it must go through a process of degradation to break down.
An independent study about the impacts of floral foam on aquatic animals by a group of researchers at RMIT University in Australia demonstrated that the new “biodegradable” is very similar in chemical composition to regular floral foam. It was also shown to leach more toxic compounds into the water than regular foam. The study also showed that the material was eaten by aquatic animals with a range of feeding habits and that it is harmful to their health.
In January 2020, the Royal Horticultural Society announced it was banning the use of floral foam and since 2023, it has not been permitted at RHS shows, meaning designers participating in events such as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show have had to develop alternative methods for creating their displays.
What are the alternatives?
All of the arrangements from Daisy Hill Flowers are presented in water, using reusable vessels made of glass or ceramics.
We use wooden skewers in place of plastic spikes for cards & messages
Bouquets are tied with twine made from natural fibres.
We hope that the beautiful ribbons added to our flowers are repurposed by the recipient.
Large scale installations for weddings & events are assembled using floral foam alternatives, chicken wire, moss, and reusable water vessels.
Our focus for 2026 is farewell or funeral flowers. We will be expanding our made to order range of wreaths and casket sprays to include compostable arrangements.
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