A Practical Guide to Sustainable Floral Design January 24, 2025 Back to News As sustainability continues to become an essential focus for many sectors, the floral design industry must adapt to meet the demands of environmentally-conscious consumers. Traditional fresh flowers, while beautiful, can contribute significantly to environmental challenges such as water usage, pesticide reliance, and high carbon footprints due to the need for prompt transportation given their shorter lifespan. According to a 2021 survey by the National Florists Association, over 70% of florists in the UK reported an increase in demand for sustainable floral arrangements, as consumers become more conscious of the environmental impact of their purchases. With a growing interest in eco-friendly alternatives, sustainable floral design is gaining more of a focus. Dried and preserved flowers offer a sustainable, long-lasting solution that reduces waste and promotes greener practices. In this article, we explore everything from how to incorporate sustainable practices to the benefits of using dried and preserved flowers in your designs. What is Sustainable Floral Design? It’s all about finding the balance between prioritising environmentally friendly practices, reducing waste, and conserving resources while still crafting beautiful arrangements and installations. Sustainable floral design focuses on balancing creativity with responsibility, using methods that minimise environmental impact. Dried and preserved flowers are at the forefront of this eco-conscious approach, as these long-lasting alternatives eliminate the need for ongoing care, such as watering or fertilising. Their durability makes them an ideal choice for florists aiming to reduce waste and create designs that endure. By incorporating flowers and foliage that have either been dried or preserved, designers can meet the growing demand for sustainable practices while reducing their carbon footprint. For businesses already specialising in dried and preserved products, embracing sustainability is a natural alignment of aesthetic and ethical values. Why Dried and Preserved Flowers Are Perfect for Sustainability The environmental impact of fresh flowers is often overlooked. From intensive farming methods to transportation emissions and the inevitable waste from flowers that wilt within days, the traditional floral industry faces significant sustainability challenges. In contrast, when responsibly sourced and preserved using thoughtful techniques, such as glycerin treatments and non-toxic dyes, dried and preserved flowers offer several key sustainability benefits: Versatility and Creative Potential: Dried and preserved flowers are reusable, making them perfect for event styling, home décor, and beyond. Their durability also inspires creativity, enabling unique designs like wall installations and keepsakes such as wedding bouquets. Preserved moss walls, for instance, are a popular eco-friendly option that adds texture and greenery to interiors while improving indoor air quality. Retailers can also benefit by offering sustainable arrangements tailored to trends in minimalist and biophilic design. No Watering or Maintenance Required: Unlike fresh flowers that need regular watering, pruning, and sunlight, dried and preserved flowers and foliage require no maintenance. This reduces the resources needed to sustain floral arrangements and makes them perfect for those seeking low-maintenance, sustainable décor. Durability for High-Traffic Venues: Dried and preserved arrangements or installations are ideal for businesses in hospitality and retail, such as boutique hotels, spas, and restaurants. Their long lifespan and low maintenance requirements make them perfect for creating impactful, sustainable displays in high-traffic areas where fresh flowers would typically need frequent replacements. Eco-Friendly and Cost-Effective: While the initial cost may be higher than fresh flowers and foliage, the longevity means they offer better value over time. With fewer replacements needed, you can achieve a more sustainable floral design at a lower overall cost. Plus, choosing dried and preserved products means reducing your environmental footprint, making them a responsible option. Lower Carbon Footprint: Fresh flowers require refrigeration during transport and storage, consuming significant energy. Dried and preserved flowers skip this step, saving energy and reducing emissions. Their long lifespan also eliminates the need for fast transportation, while many are grown specifically for preservation or drying, ensuring a more sustainable supply chain. Minimal Waste: Unlike the fresh flower industry, where blooms are discarded after a short life cycle, dried and preserved alternatives are designed to last for years, ensuring that fewer resources are needed in the long run. Eco-Friendly Practices in Floral Design Regardless of whether you’re designing with fresh, dried, or preserved flowers and foliage, there’s lots of ways you can adopt eco-conscious practices to enhance the sustainability of your work. Use Sustainable Materials Opt for natural supports like chicken wire, moss, twigs or wooden armatures instead of synthetic tapes or non-biodegradable floral foam, which is known to harm aquatic ecosystems. These materials pair beautifully with dried arrangements and add a natural, rustic aesthetic. You could also incorporate upcycled containers and vases to give a new life to old items and reduce waste. Zero-Waste Design With dried and preserved products, every leftover petal, stem, or branch can find a purpose. Excess blooms can be turned into potpourri, wreaths, or even pressed flower art, minimising waste while creating new revenue streams. Encouraging Reuse and Repurposing Dried and preserved flowers and foliage naturally generate less waste, as they can be reused or repurposed multiple times. Offer clients ideas for refreshing their existing arrangements, for example, swap out a few elements for seasonal additions or rearrange displays to give them new life. Shop Preserved Flowers Composting Floral Waste In an article by the Greenhouse Grower, it’s estimated that the global floral industry generates 4.5 million tons of floral waste annually. A large proportion of this waste comes from discarded fresh flowers, which contribute to landfills and environmental pollution. Instead of sending floral waste to landfill, consider composting it. If you’re in an urban area without space for composting, check if your local council offers a collection service (fees can be factored into your sales). Some local farms may also accept waste, though they might not take imported flowers due to chemicals. Diverting waste from landfills is an easy and sustainable practice. Opt for Paper Wraps Over Cellophane Instead of using cellophane, choose paper wraps that are recyclable or compostable. Many don’t realise that cellophane and similar thin plastics can’t be recycled. Paper wraps not only offer a more eco-friendly option, but also provide a great surface for custom branding, such as stamping your logo. Biodegradable Confetti for Venues with Eco Guidelines Many event venues, especially outdoor locations and heritage sites, now require the use of biodegradable confetti to minimise environmental impact. Some stricter venues even mandate the exclusive use of dried botanicals, such as flower petals, for their natural decomposition and zero-waste appeal. These policies present an opportunity for florists and event planners to offer sustainable, customisable confetti solutions that align with these guidelines. Dried lavender, rose petals, and even colourful mixes of preserved florals such as peonies or hydrangeas not only meet these requirements but also add a beautiful, fragrant touch to any celebration. Thoughtful Preservation Techniques The sustainability of dried and preserved flowers extends to how they’re processed. Transparency in how products are preserved is an important part of sustainable floral design, to give everyone the ability to make informed decisions by understanding the full lifecycle of these products. If you’re new to these alternative solutions to fresh blooms, below are the main ways of ensuring eco-friendly preservation: Non-Toxic Methods: Many preserved flowers use food-grade dyes and glycerin, ensuring they are safe and sustainable. Traditional Drying: Air-drying is a low-energy process that retains the flowers’ natural character while conserving resources. Why Sustainable Floral Design Matters Sustainability goes beyond just eliminating plastic or reducing your carbon footprint. There are many alternative options to be greener, such as sourcing imported flowers with recognised sustainability certifications. While there are air miles involved, these flowers may still support fair working conditions in developing countries and are often cultivated using fewer chemicals, resulting in a reduced environmental footprint. Consumers today are increasingly concerned with where their products come from and are actively seeking sustainable alternatives. Ethical weddings are becoming more popular, with influencers and celebrities highlighting them on social media, and even big corporations and supermarkets are showing greater support for sustainable flower initiatives. The younger generation, in particular, is keen on buying ethically sourced products and in time will become a core customer base. Floral businesses can also reap rewards from reimagining their practices and products. This approach can lead to greater perceived value, while also saving time and reducing costs. For example, much like how consumers are now bringing their own reusable cups for coffee, they are increasingly bringing their own vases for flowers, demonstrating a shift towards more sustainable choices. It’s important for florists to educate their customers about the range of sustainable options available, like moss-based funeral arrangements, which customers may not even be aware of. Shop Dried Flowers Future Innovations in Sustainable Floristry The floral industry is adapting quickly to the increasing demand for sustainability. New technologies, tools, and creative solutions are making it easier than ever to adopt eco-friendly practices, transforming how we source, create, and maintain floral arrangements. Here are some interesting advancements: Biodegradable Floral Foam Alternatives: As awareness grows about the environmental harm caused by traditional floral foam, new biodegradable options are becoming more popular. Made from plant-based materials or compostable fibers, these alternatives provide similar structural support without contributing to microplastic pollution. Energy-Efficient Transportation: Transportation emissions are a significant contributor to the floral industry’s carbon footprint. Future solutions may include carbon-neutral shipping options or cold chain technologies powered by renewable energy sources to preserve freshness while reducing emissions. Sustainable Flower Breeding: Advances in bioengineering could lead to flowers bred specifically for eco-conscious consumers. For example, drought-resistant varieties could drastically reduce water use, while flowers cultivated with minimal pesticide requirements would promote biodiversity. Compostable Packaging Solutions: Beyond flowers themselves, the industry is focused on greener packaging alternatives. Compostable wraps, plant-based adhesives, and even biodegradable ties are becoming viable replacements for plastics, ensuring the entire floral product lifecycle is environmentally friendly. Circular Economy Approaches: Designers and florists are increasingly exploring ways to integrate flowers into circular economy models. This includes rental programs for floral installations, reusable arrangement frameworks, and partnerships with local composting initiatives to close the loop on floral waste. Digital Tools for Sustainability Tracking: Apps and software that track sustainability metrics, such as carbon footprint and water usage, are being developed to help florists make informed decisions about their practices. These tools could provide detailed insights into how to improve eco-consciousness across supply chains. Conclusion Sustainable floral design is not just a trend but a necessary progression towards a more eco-conscious and responsible industry that resonates with today’s environmentally-aware consumers. By integrating dried and preserved flowers, florists can reduce waste, lower energy consumption, and create long-lasting designs that leave a minimal environmental footprint. Beyond just materials, adopting sustainable practices such as composting floral waste, using recyclable packaging, and promoting reusable elements can further enhance the impact of your business. With an ever-expanding range of eco-friendly solutions continuously being developed, everyone from florists and event planners to artisans and retailers, have a wide range of options to embrace sustainable floral design practices.
