Buy flowers from an organic florist
Why This is Green
Giving flowers is such a lovely gesture, and receiving them is the best. But you may be offering--or getting--more than natural beauty and sweet scents. According to Planet Green, 79 percent of cut flowers found in the United States come from Ecuador or Columbia and are grown with 12 different potentially hazardous pesticides. Some of these have been banned in the U.S., or used in amounts that exceed our regulations.
One of the many problems with pesticides is that they don’t stay put. The chemicals workers spray on flower farms contaminate them, the soil, and our groundwater. Through evaporation, they end up in the atmosphere and travel, scattering near and far as rain or snow. Pesticides also become part of the food chain when animals eat the sprayed plants.
Even the handy foam blocks many florists use for arrangements are toxic; it’s a non-biodegradable petroleum byproduct that offgasses formaldehyde when soaked in water.
Unlike conventional florists, organic florists sell flowers that have been grown according to strict standards that prohibit the use of harmful synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Better for the farmers, you, and the earth.
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How To
Good news: most organic bouquets aren’t more expensive than non-organic ones. They tend to last longer, too. Supporting organic florists encourages more growers to convert to organic and sustainable practices.
If you can’t pick your own unsprayed wildflowers, buying locally grown organic flowers is as green as it gets. Plants are nice, too. You can find either at farmers’ markets, farm stands, or via www.LocalHarvest.org/organic-flowers.jsp.
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