Green waste

My local council does not offer a 'green waste' collection for commercial businesses. And as a business, I'm not allowed to take my green waste to our local recycling point nor am I supposed to put it in my own green bin. After a little digging, I've discovered that my green waste plays a vital role in reducing the amount of waste the county sends to landfill. There's a process called Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) which is applied to general commerical waste. First the recyclable materials are extracted and then the remaining waste is, in effect, composted to reduce the volume of the waste by up to 50%. Organic matter (my green waste) ensures the process works efficiently. If there's not enough green waste in the mix, the composting process doesn't work. By putting my green waste in the general waste, albeit in a compostable liner, I'm helping reduce landfill. And because it's been composted down first, there's no methane being released from the landfill.

Floral Foam

I avoid using florists' floral foam wherever possible. It's nasty stuff to make and use and generates micro plastic as soon as you look at it. If I do have to use it - because the type of design the customer wants isn't feasible without it - I use a brand that at least claims to be 100% biodegradable when shredded. However, many designs just need a bit of alternative thinking to devise a way to get the look the customer wants without using foam. With a few exceptions, my funeral work is entirely foam free.

Packaging

I use as little single use plastic in my designs as possible. My packaging of bouquets for delivery is all recyclable. I use cardboard boxes, tissue paper, compostable bags and specially designed absorbent wraps to keep your flowers in tip top condition until you can get them into water. These Eco-Wraps are 100% plant composition, compostable, biodegradable, reusable and recyclable. The ribbon will always be fabric or raffia - so use it again when wrapping something up yourself.

Flower food & vase life

Flower food helps neutralise the ph of the water, provides nutrients for the blooms to help them open and keeps the bacteria at bay. The actual sachets of flower food I use are compostable too but do check your council's advice to see if it can go in your green bin.

To keep your flowers for as long as possible start with a clean vase. Add water and the flower food provided. Keep the flowers cool, out of direct heat and draughts and change the water every few days - especially if it's going murky. If you haven't got any flower food as you've changed the water, a tiny drop of household bleach in the water will keep the water clear.