The Environment Q

Are silk flowers good for the environment?

This is a question we’re being increasingly asked and the simple answer is yes!  Research and opinion pieces has shown that artificial flowers are better than fresh flowers for the following reasons.

1. Transportation – many fresh flowers are imported from around the world. To keep fresh they need to air-freighted as this is the fastest way.  Artificial flowers can be transported by sea, rail and road and can be transported in greater quantities in fewer journeys and with less frequency. 

2. Freshness – to keep fresh flowers fresh, they need to be kept refrigerated during transportation and specially heated conditions for those which are grown “out of season”. Artificial flowers are very durable, can last a very long time and only need to be kept dry!

3. Landfill – unless fresh flowers are composted, they will probably end up in landfill where they emit methane, a greenhouse gas. Artificial flowers will eventually end up in landfill but they will have be around for far longer and reused many times before being discarded.

So in conclusion – artificial flowers have a smaller carbon footprint, are biostable and because of their durability, have less space in landfill.