Florada supports Australian flower growers. We do this with every floral arrangement, whether it’s for weddings or events, gifts or flowers for home. We don’t just offer one token bouquet or flower option that contains local flowers, it runs through everything we create. We do this because we care about the environment that provides us with so much joy. 

Look out for companies who offset carbon to make up for using imported flowers. As a society, our collective carbon emissions need to reduce drastically, and quickly, to prevent a climate catastrophe. Offsetting carbon will never achieve what is needed in time. Florada does not mix local flowers with imports in our designs, and we don’t use carbon offsets to greenwash what we do. 

In addition to the excessive airmiles that come with imported flowers in refrigerated airplane holds, are the chemicals they are required to be dipped in to devitalise them before entering our borders. This process is toxic and harmful to our health and the environment.

There are also a lot of materials that are used in the floral industry that create unnecessary waste such as floral foam, which is made of synthetic material and eventually breaks down into microplastics, leeching into soil and our waterways. Mixing flowers with non-biodegradable items (floral foam, plastic wrapping, ribbons etc) makes very little sense.

Some additional ways Florada reduces environmental impact are:

• Our flowers come packaged in low-waste wrapping

• We use silk ribbon in place of polyester

• We use plant-based wet packs instead of plastic

• We separate our rubbish, green waste, soft plastics are disposed of properly and avoided wherever possible

• We do not use floral foam

• We reclaim and reuse floral mechanics

• We do not used chemically preserved or dyed flowers

Currently, there is a lot of hype around sustainability and supporting local. We recommend watching out for companies that spruik “support or shop local” when they may only be referring to their own business as being local, while not acknowledging where their stock is sourced, or, offering one token product that contains local ingredients. Some companies also greenwash their business with carbon offsets so they can continue to operate in unsustainable ways.

Florada aims to reduce environmental impact through creating awareness, and works towards improving systems within our own business as well as supporting Australian businesses and flower growers.