70
The ICCM Journal | Autumn 2021 | V89 No. 3
foam free future The floristry world is changing - a number of florists are working, without the use of floral foam and plastics. These florists should be highly commended - for their forward thinking, and care for our planet. Oasis as it is generically known, (much like a vacuum cleaner is generally known as a hoover) is actually the name of the company that invented floral foam - over 70 years ago.
So what can be done? Educate and Empower.
Floral foam transformed the floristry industry back then. It enabled florists to work much quicker.
There is a huge list of places to start from florists to undertakers, crematoriums to churches and cemeteries. In turn the public: irreversible damage is being done, which is quite likely unknown at the time to the purchaser.
HOWEVER, at this time no research existed regarding the long term damage that floral foam could do. Micro plastics had not been brought to the attention of the world. In the last few years; much has been discovered, about the harm that plastics and micro plastics are causing our environment. Floral foam is non recyclable - the majority of it ends up in landfill. Here in landfill, is where it starts to degrade - leaching micro plastics into the earth that we live on. By way of the product function - florists soak floral foam in water. The waste water, complete with microscopic and tiny particles, now contained within it - heads into our waterways and oceans. How big is the problem? It remains a difficult figure to pin down, very few statistics exist regarding plastic waste and floral foam from crematoriums. What we do know is - there are currently 308 crematoriums in the UK (data from Pharos Statistics) and we are averaging around half a million cremations a year now. If each of those funerals, had just one floral foam tribute - that would be a vast amount of discarded foam in landfill. We’ve all seen the foam and plastic letters spelling out ‘MUM’ and ‘DAD’ etc, these all end in landfill - nothing is recyclable or compostable. It doesn’t have to be this way.
We need to educate everyone.
The answer? The isn’t a perfect one yet. But; we created Foam Free Future, because we want to engage with anyone, who is willing to 'promote sustainable practice' within the floristry and funeral industries. •
Crematoriums can consider phasing out floral foam and implementing a ban by the end of 2022. Our local crematorium is very open to this idea.
•
Funeral Directors can seek your local eco-florist; or see what eco alternatives can be offered by your usual florist. Then promote this to your families.
We want to empower florists to experiment and try different resources, instead of using floral foam. Please have a look at our website www.foamfreefuture. org . We are just two ladies in Cornwall, on a mission to help do our bit for this planet and help to work towards Carbon Net Zero by 2050*, as set out by our current UK government.
Sarah Penny & Sheridon Rosser
