Deirdre meets Dundee from Phoam Labs to talk about their new Compostable Floral Foam
Is this going to be the biggest move in the floral industry and allow commercial florists move away from traditional floral foam?
Before we start, like every industry the Flower Industry has been striving to become more and more sustainable in many aspects of their business, and being a sustainable business and paying their staff, their bills and themselves a living wage is paramount to being sustainable.
Every little step a florist makes all comes together in a giant step for our environment. Foam shaming in our industry has become a common occurrence on social media. No one knows the operative of any other business and what other measures are in place within that business to be sustainable and staying afloat.
As florists we believe in preserving the natural world that inspires our work. That's why Deirdre was thrilled to chat to Dundee from PhoamLabs at the Interflora World Cup in Manchester this month.
In this blog, we'll dive into the world of sustainable floral design and how PhoamLabs is helping us make a positive impact on the environment.
For decades, floral foam has been an essential tool for commercial florists worldwide. It provides structure, stability, and hydration to flower arrangements, ensuring they stay fresh and vibrant for longer periods. It allows florists to work faster and produce more designs making it an economical choice for the busy florist. However, traditional floral foam comes with a significant environmental drawback – it's not compostable and those that are biodegradable actually take a very long time to break down in the right conditions that are not always available in every country.
Traditional floral foam is composed of non-recyclable plastic materials, primarily polyurethane and phenolic foam. When disposed of, it can linger in landfills for centuries. This can pose a threat to our ecosystems, aquatic life, and overall environmental health.
Enter PhoamLabs, a company dedicated to revolutionizing the floral industry's sustainability. They believe they have developed a compostable floral foam that offers all the benefits of traditional foam without the ecological burden. Here's why we are excited about it:
PhoamLabs' compostable floral foam they tell us is made from natural materials, primarily plant-based polymers. Dundee says this means it breaks down naturally in a matter of weeks when composted, returning valuable nutrients to the soil without harming the environment.
Phoam Labs tell us this innovative foam retains water efficiently, keeping your flowers fresh and beautiful for as long as you'd expect from traditional foam. They say it offers the same level of stability and design flexibility, ensuring your arrangements are top-notch.
Eco-friendly Production: PhoamLabs is committed to sustainable manufacturing practices. They say their production process is energy-efficient and minimizes waste, further reducing their environmental impact.
No Harmful Chemicals: Unlike traditional floral foam, PhoamLabs' say their product is free from harmful chemicals, making it safer for both the environment and the florists who work with it.
Deirdre asks Dundee all about it in her short interview here, we are so excited to see this come to market, Phoamlabs only had one dry block to hand at the show which was a little disappointing, we would have loved the opprtunity to actually stick flowers into it when wet, but we look forward to it being available soon and you know us we will try and test it and give you our honest opinion
Deirdre speaks to Dundee from Phoam Labs about this revolutionary new Foam Phoam Product
PhoamLabs compostable floral foam hopefully represents a significant leap forward in the world of sustainable floristry. Together we hope we as an industry can bloom sustainably and ensure that the beauty of our flowers doesn't come at the cost to our lives and environment.
Watch this space for when we try and test it - subscribe to be kept updated - Kays Flower School takes no payment to promote any products or service, we do so using our own opinion and experience in the industry and so give you our professional opinion on any products or services
Deirdre xx