How to Choose Sustainable Flowers

Have you ever stopped to ask where your flowers come from? Currently, 80 percent of flowers sold in America are grown overseas. Not to mention most florists toss 40 percent of the stems they purchase!

It’s important we make better, more sustainable choices when it comes to flowers, but where do we begin? I decided to reach out to Chelsea Hohn, owner of Bhakti Flowers, a sustainable florist business in Michigan, to get some answers.

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The long and short of it? Getting locally grown flowers from your local florist is so much better for the environment. But there’s way more to consider than just sourcing. Here’s how to get sustainable flowers, according to Chelsea.

choose local:

Whenever you buy flowers, it’s a good idea to support a local florist near you, rather than ordering online. This will help boost your local economy, and it also takes less time to get to you, resulting in less carbon emissions.

“Buying locally is always going to be more sustainable. You’re supporting your local economy and that is so, so important,” says Chelsea.

According to Chelsea, buying from your local florist is also better because it’s easier to communicate to your florist that you would like them to use sustainable practices for your order.

For example, if you’d like plastic-free flowers, you can simply ask your local florist to wrap them in butcher paper. This will create a demand for more sustainable practices and help you develop a rapport with your florist.

However, be sure to ask your florist if they have any locally sourced blooms on hand too. Not only should you head to a local florist, but you should also grab flowers that are locally grown!

“I typically define ‘local’ within 200 miles of my location,” says Chelsea. “Make sure to ask your florist where your flowers are coming from.”

Most florists source their flowers overseas, so don’t be surprised if your florist does the same. Still, it’s a good idea to ask your florist where they source theirs from, and make it known you’d prefer locally grown blooms.

How to choose sustainable flowers for your big day from www.goingzerowaste.com #flowers #sustainable #ecofriendly #wedding #party #flowerarrangements #arrangement #floral #bouquet

When flowers are shipped overseas, they have a huge carbon footprint. For example, in America alone, the roughly 100 million roses grown, shipped and purchased on Valentine’s Day produces approximately 9,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Isn’t that insane?

Seeing as most flowers are grown overseas, it’s really important you ask your florist for more local options. Even if they don’t have any, it will put the idea in their head and possibly spur curiosity in them.

However, there’s several things to consider about local flowers too: Depending on where they’re being grown, and what the climate it like, you may not be able to get them year-round.

For example, in cooler climates like Michigan, it’s almost impossible to source flowers locally year-round. The growing season just doesn’t allow it.

“In a perfect world, we would be able to source locally year-round from growers using organic practices,” says Chelsea, “But the weddings must go on, even in the dead of February. So, when sourcing locally isn’t an option, it’s up to your florist to make some choices.”

Sourcing U.S. grown year-round is possible, which is a great option. Ultimately, the less time it takes for the blooms to get to your hands, the better.

That said, “even if [the flowers are] being shipped from Ecuador, know that those people need jobs too,” says Chelsea.

Bottom line: It’s always best to support your local florist shop or flower farm. And, ask for U.S. grown blooms as well.

How to choose sustainable flowers for your big day from www.goingzerowaste.com #flowers #sustainable #ecofriendly #wedding #party #flowerarrangements #arrangement #floral #bouquet

ask about sustainable growing methods:

It’s important to start a dialogue with your local florist about their growing methods. Don’t be afraid to ask them if they use organic practices or synthetic pesticides.

“Letting your florist know that you value sustainability means that they might make a more sustainable choice down the road if they aren’t already,” says Chelsea.

Asking questions promotes conversation, which can lead to big changes in the future.

Since flowers are not an edible crop, they’re typically exempt from regulations on pesticide use. This means the cut flower industry is one of the biggest consumers of pesticides worldwide.

Pesticides are not only dangerous to us, but they’re also terrible for biodiversity!

If a bee or hummingbird tries to drink the nectar from a flower sprayed from pesticides, it could die. We need our pollinators alive and well, so creating a demand for organic, pesticide free flowers is important.

How to choose sustainable flowers for your big day from www.goingzerowaste.com #flowers #sustainable #ecofriendly #wedding #party #flowerarrangements #arrangement #floral #bouquet

“Certified organic flowers aren’t really a demand at the moment, which is unfortunate,” says Chelsea, “But, there are lots of things that a grower can do to maintain integrity in the field.”

For example, Chelsea has committed to being no till, and she doesn’t use any synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Instead, she sprays her plants with fish emulsion, which is a great way to get a healthy fertilizer into the plants.

Chelsea also has tons of creative, natural methods for pest control, like using diatomaceous earth and neem oil to fight off Japanese beetles. She even puts organza bags (those little drawstring bags that jewelry sometimes comes in) over the heads of every single dahlia flower to ward off pests.

“Using organic practices is a lot harder, and a lot more labor intensive, and most of it doesn’t happen overnight,” says Chelsea, “But commitment to the earth isn’t about taking the easy way out.”

Bottom line: Make sure to ask your florist what their growing methods are, and create a demand for greener practices.

How to choose sustainable flowers for your big day from www.goingzerowaste.com #flowers #sustainable #ecofriendly #wedding #party #flowerarrangements #arrangement #floral #bouquet

ditch plastic:

You probably don’t need me telling you plastic is bad for the environment by now. Still, most flowers come wrapped in plastic cellophane wrap or use floral foam.

“Ask if [your florist] uses [floral foam], and hopefully the answer will be no!” says Chelsea, “Floral foam is made of carcinogenic materials that are harmful to florists and their customers. Plus, it breaks down to microplastics. Yuck!”

Thankfully, according to Chelsea, a lot of florists are getting out of the habit of selling designs that can only be achieved with floral foam. In fact, Chelsea says 90 percent of the designs you see on Pinterest can be made without foam.

“If your florist can’t find a way to create what you want without foam, find someone else who will!” says Chelsea. It’s not worth sacrificing your health, or the health of the earth, for one beautiful, ephemeral display.

There’s also the issue of flower bouquets being wrapped in plastic cellophane.

How to choose sustainable flowers for your big day from www.goingzerowaste.com #flowers #sustainable #ecofriendly #wedding #party #flowerarrangements #arrangement #floral #bouquet

Remember how I mentioned 100 million roses were grown just for Valentine’s Day alone? Imagine each individual rose wrapped in plastic and how much waste that produces. And that’s just one day of the year!

“If you’re buying a bouquet, ask for it to be wrapped in paper instead of plastic, and reuse the rubber band,” says Chelsea.

You can ask for your flowers to be wrapped in butcher paper, tied together with twine, or put in a glass jar – get creative! The florist is supposed to satisfy the customer after all, so more than likely they’ll want to accommodate you.

“If you’re getting married, let your florist know that you would like them to use sustainable practices,” says Chelsea, “It is more work and requires more planning on the florist’s end, but it needs to become the new standard.”

Bottom line: Ask your local florist to omit the floral foam and plastic cellophane wrap when creating your floral designs.

Do you have any sustainable florists near you?

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Guest Post: Ariana Palmieri is the founder of Greenify-Me.com, a blog dedicated to zero waste living and sustainability. Her work has been featured on MindBodyGreen, Green Matters, The Penny Hoarder and several other publications. Get her free e-book "10 Ways to Reduce Trash" by signing up to her newsletter and learn how to reduce your waste today.

My Zero Waste Bachelorette Party

My bachelorette party was two months ago! But, I have had several requests for the zero waste details. 

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The party planning was completely out of my control, but my two best friends were in charge! I wasn't worried about trash for one second. 

When you have awesome friends, they respect you and your lifestyle choices. All I wanted was a fun night out to celebrate our friendship! Seriously, they are THE best. 

My zero waste bachelorette party from www.goingzerowaste.com

Since I got married at the courthouse, I knew I wasn't actually going to have bridesmaids. But, just because you have a simple wedding doesn't mean you get to miss out on all of the fun.

When I went wedding dress shopping I fell in LOVE with a white jumpsuit. I was so torn between the jumpsuit and a dress. I wound up going with a dress, but I continued to lust after the jumpsuit.

All sorts of crazy thoughts ran through my head.... "What if I changed into a jumpsuit for the reception? What if I got a jumpsuit for the cake? Or the honeymoon?"

And, I have to admit, I still really, really want a jumpsuit.

My zero waste bachelorette party from www.goingzerowaste.com

 I was browsing Rent the Runway when I stumbled upon the PERFECT blush jumpsuit. The clouds opened and I could hear heaven's angels sing, "Ahhhhh."

I knew I had to rent it.

It arrived, unfortunately in a plastic garment bag. I was pretty crushed. I'm not sure if I'll rent from then again. But, I did LOVE the jumpsuit. It fit almost perfect, and it was amazing for the evening.

I still think renting an outfit is better than buying, and it's a good option if you tire of clothing easily. 

So, let me set the scene.... 

Saturday morning I was whisked away wearing no makeup, jeans, and a white tank top. Danielle took me to the BART, where we hopped on and rode it all the way to SF. When we got out we were surrounded by the March for Science on Earth Day. 

That's right! How fitting. My bachelorette party fell on Earth Day. We watched and supported the marchers for a while before heading into my favorite zero waste store... you guessed it: Credo. 

my zero waste bachelorette party, stopping at Credo Beauty in San Francisco from www.goingzerowaste.com

I bought some makeup for the wedding and for the evening. 

Then we found our hotel. We stayed at the Sir Francis Drake and it was so lovely!!! You can see my klean kanteen on the counter. 

At the Sir Francis Drake for my zero waste bachelorette party from www.goingzerowaste.com

Ali had been up in the room decorating with crepe paper (compostable ;) and putting together a killer playlist. I have to admit being in musical theatre my musical tastes are a little obscure. But, she nailed it. 

And, we got to sing "Take Me or Leave Me" in perfect harmony... one of the highlights of my evening. 

We got dressed and drank lots of champagne in reusable champagne flutes. The hotel sent up a fruit platter all on reusables! I was also given several gifts. Danielle did an excellent job of sourcing classy, made in the USA goods from Etsy. 

I got the most amazing crown, which I will wear for literally any event I can get away with. See my backyard BBQ. I will also wear it on my birthday. 

I was presented with the most beautiful sash that says, "Bride to Be." I pinned it with the stinkin' cutest little hen pins. We also got screen printed hen party cloth napkins! 

We opted not to do t-shirts. I think we all knew we would never wear them again. I love to pin my hen pin on all sorts of cardigans. 

My zero waste bachelorette party from www.goingzerowaste.com

I made it clear that I wanted to call it a hen party because I think that sounds much classier than a bachelorette party. 

Then we kicked the night off with a Lyft to Asia SF where we partied for a while in the downstairs club. Then we went upstairs where they served dinner, cocktails, and a burlesque-ish style show. It was SO much fun. 

My Zero Waste Bachelorette Party from www.goingzerowaste.com

After the show we headed to the Speakeasy for the after party. Ali is an actor in the speakeasy show, so we got the hookups. I mostly spent my time at the blackjack table perfecting ways to count cards with the dealer. 

I had so much fun playing cards!! It was another highlight of the evening. 

My zero waste bachelorette party from www.goingzerowaste.com

Both places we went we never had to worry about disposables. Even the restaurant had cloth napkins! They really took everything into consideration when booking the event. 

We got back pretty late from the Speakeasy, but we hit up the rooftop bar at the hotel. Had time for another drink, and then we went to bed. 

It was the perfect night. 

My tips for planning a zero waste bachelorette party would be... 

1. take it easy on the favors

It's a lot of fun to have little trinkets that are memorable and special. But, keep them to a minimum so they will be special. No one needs penis-shaped straws and wine charms. No one would use those again. 

If you really want some sort of penis-shaped something, I would do it in the form of a cake. You get the gag and then it can be eaten. Yum! 

I would even be skeptical of getting t-shirts. Will you really wear those again? 

2. keep it simple

There's no reason to go overboard. You can feel super special just being surrounded by those you love. I had the best night because my friends are so awesome. 

There was no need to fly half away around the world. There was no need for lots of gag gifts and decorations that would only be thrown away the next day. 

3. plan ahead 

My bridesmaids double checked every place we were going to go for reusables. Yelp is a great way to check out menus and dishware at your next stop. 

Double check the place for reusables before booking! 


Most importantly, HAVE FUN! 

Unexpected trash can always happen. But, just roll with it. You can't plan for everything in life. 

I had the best party and I can't thank my friends enough. They are the absolute best. I met Ali while doing Midsummer Night's Dream my first year in CA, and I met Danielle through blogging!! 

Life is crazy and wonderful. 

If either of you are reading this post right now, thank you so much for making my hen party amazing! I will remember this night of awesomeness forever. I love you both so much.

Hugs and kisses,

KK