I am reproducing a report from 77 Diamonds, about sustainability in weddings. According to the guide, reports 4,910 tonnes of unrecyclable plastic was used up and left behind at British weddings last year.
Individually, one wedding can produce as much as 20kg of plastic waste. What’s more, the black bags used to collect the rubbish are themselves potentially harmful. They can take as many as 90 years to break down under the ground.
Sadly, UK weddings are again one of the chief offenders when it comes to CO2 contributions. As many as 14.5 tonnes of the gas will be created during an average celebration.
Sustainable flowers!
While all flowers are by their very nature “organic”, sustainability can still be taken into account when it comes to decorating your wedding.
Aside from the carbon footprint (from transporting flowers from across the world), there can also be issues of exploitation in the supply chain.
Here I highlight two options for eco friendly flowers:
* Buy local and seasonal flowers
Ask your florist to search for the exact type of flower you want, even specifying by things like pesticide usage. This allows you to make a conscious and measured choice about the distance your flowers have to travel and the impact you might be having.
* Grow your own
I can work with your home grown flowers, even if the finished product isn’t as polished as what you might get from a professional wholesaler, there’s a certain charm to self-grown flowers at a wedding. I would love to work with them!
You can spot a sustainable florist like me by looking for those who do at least two of the following:
Don’t use floral foam or plastic
Source local or ethically certified flowers
Are transparent about how they work
Have a zero-waste policy when possible
Reuse containers and other items
Sometimes it is not possible to get the flowers you want from local growers but your florist can compensate that with other measures like the ones listed above.
Since you are here, follow me on Instagram for more information, inspiration and flowers!