Our Mission
We believe in doing our part, not matter how small, to create a better world. If we all take small steps to create a sustainable life, our small steps would join together to create an impact we can be proud of.
It is easy to think that all flowers grow out of the ground and are pollinated by bees and butterflies before being cut at the end of their lifecycle where they wind up on your dining room table. Unfortunately, that is simply not the case. According to Wikipedia, 82% of fresh cut flowers are grown outside of the United States. Of that 82%, 90% are grown in hothouses near the equator. The working conditions are, often times, sub par. The flowers are sprayed with several chemicals, 20 of which are banned from use in the United States and Europe and are causing numerous health problems as they are washed into waterways killing wildlife and depleting the ozone.
"A 2007 study by the International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF) found that more than 76 percent of Ecuadorian and Colombian flower workers were plagued by work-related health problems — including skin rashes, respiratory problems, and eye problems — due to toxic pesticides and fungicides. ILRF also found that "flower workers experience higher-than-average rates of premature births, congenital malformations and miscarriages," and were subjected to 70- or 80-hour work weeks in high season."
As if that weren't enough, the flowers are cut, shipped using Jet Fuel, trucked in using Diesel Fuel, and kept in a refrigerated unit, until you use them for your event.......for SIX hours.
All that waste, for just a few hours.
In the Fall of 2016, we conducted an independent study to measure Carbon reduction based on transportation alone. According to our independent engineer, based on our manufacturer's location for our flowers and Bogota, Columbia for fresh cut, we have determined the following: 9.512 tons of CO2 are emitted per container for fresh cut flowers and only 2.239 tons of CO2 are emitted per container for our Alternative flowers.
In summary, transportation of our ALTERNATIVE flowers emits 76% less CO2 than the the transportation of fresh cut flowers. Further, we reuse our flowers which only increases that savings.
A savings we pass on to you.
WATER
Curating a single rose bloom requires up to three gallons of water, according to a study of the Kenyan flower industry by scientists from the University of Twente in the Netherlands.Wildlife
Chemicals & pesticides, flushed into the soil and waterways, classified as neuro-toxins and carcinogens, are killing wildlife and polluting their natural habitat.
ENVIRONMENT
Greenhouse gasses, fuel usage, ozone depletion, chemical pollution......all affecting our environment.
