How To Make Festive Flowers Eco-Friendly This Christmas
Festive flowers are a brilliant way to bring winter wonders indoors. Rich reds, lush greens, snowy whites – nature’s beauty just can’t be beaten. That’s just one of the reasons it’s so important we protect it, and luckily, it’s not too difficult once you get into the swing of it. Here’s a few tips from the experts at Interflora to help us deck the halls sustainably this year.
- Shop local to reduce your carbon footprint
Lorries packed with flowers travelling all over the country from a central distribution centre = lots of emissions (and not a particularly nice journey for blooms either). You can cut down the carbon footprint of your bouquet by shopping local. If you use Interflora your order will go to an independent florist close to your loved one, so you’ll be supporting your brilliant local high street and protecting the planet all in one go. That’s sure to put you on Santa’s nice list.
- Reduce, re-use and recycle
At Interflora, we’ve been working hard to make sure our products and processes are as sustainable as possible, that’s why we use 100% recycled ribbon, biodegradable cellophane and eco-friendly gift boxes. But we’re only half of the story – the planet needs your help too. When you’ve unwrapped your gift (and recovered from being wowed) make sure you recycle the packaging. Or you could go one better and re-use it, the paper makes great gift wrap and the gift boxes are perfect storage boxes – especially if you upcycle them by wrapping them in pretty paper.
3. Choose a wreath that doesn’t rely on plastic
You can spread tidings of comfort and joy to anyone who passes your front door by transforming it with a festive wreath crafted from beautiful real blooms. Choose one that’s made on a natural twig base or wire ring instead of the usual floral foam for eco brownie points. That way the base can be used year after year without adding any extra plastic to landfill. You could even turn wreath-making into a yearly tradition for the family to enjoy. Check out our wreath-making tips for more inspiration.
4. Swap plastic decorations for natural delights
Who needs tired tinsel and plastic baubles when you can decorate with beautiful flowers instead? All it takes is a little winter foraging in your garden (or if you don’t have outdoor space ask a friend nicely to rummage in theirs) and soon you’ll have foliage to create your own garlands. We also love adding flower corsages to gifts instead of plastic bows and ribbons. Then, once Christmas is done and dusted, you can pop them on a compost heap.
5. Create decorations that will last
In fact, you don’t necessarily need to abandon your natural decorations when Christmas comes to an end. You can turn them into lasting keepsakes by air drying them. Then all you need to do is get creative: frame them, pop them in baubles, use them on cards – the only limit is your imagination. Read our top tips for air drying to get started.
