Swap out those familiar green blocks with these floral foam alternatives for a more earth-friendly flower arrangement.
Mackenzie Nichols is a freelance writer specializing in horticulture and entertainment journalism. Her expertise is writing articles about new plants, garden trends, tips and tricks for gardeners, entertainment trends, Q&A's with business leaders in entertainment and horticulture, and newsworthy articles relating to trends in modern society. She has over 5 years of experience writing for major publications. Bridal Proposal Box
You've probably seen the green blocks known as floral foam before, and maybe even used it yourself to hold blooms in place. But there are good reasons to use floral foam alternatives. Recent scientific studies have found that the product can be harmful to the environment and may even cause respiratory issues.
For those reasons, major floral events such as the Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show and the Slow Flowers Summit have sworn off floral foam. Instead, florists are increasingly leaning into floral foam alternatives to design their pieces. Here's why and how you can too.
Floral foam is a light-weight, water-absorbent material that can be placed in the bottom of vases to create a foundation for floral designs. According to Rita Feldmann, founder of the Sustainability Floristry Network based in Australia, "both florists and consumers have long believed the green, crumbly foam to be a natural product." But in fact, floral foam is a type of plastic.
In the 1950s, Vernon Smithers of Smithers-Oasis patented the material for use in floral design. Oasis floral foam quickly gained popularity with professional florists because, Feldmann says, it's "very cheap and it is very easy to use. You simply cut it, soak in water, and poke the stems in."
The product is useful for arranging flowers in vessels that might flop or splay outward otherwise. "Its invention made floral design very accessible to inexperienced arrangers who couldn't get the stems to stay where they wanted them to," she adds.
Although floral foam is made from ingredients that are known carcinogens, such as formaldehyde , only trace amounts of these toxic chemicals remain in the finished product. The biggest concerns around floral foam revolve around microplastics.
Microplastics and the environment. The major problem with floral foam is what happens when it's disposed of, as it actually breaks down into tiny particles called microplastics that can remain in the environment for hundreds of years. Scientists are becoming increasingly concerned with the health risks posed by microplastics in the air and water, both to humans and other creatures.
A study published by the RMIT University in Science of the Total Environment in 2019 was the first to show that microplastics from floral foam both physically and chemically harmed a range of freshwater and marine species that swallowed the particles.
Microplastics and human health. Another recent study, by researchers with the Hull York Medical School, is the first to discover microplastics in human lungs . The results indicate that breathing in microplastics is a significant source of exposure. Along with floral foam, airborne microplastics come from products such as bottles, packaging, clothing, and cosmetics. However, exactly how these microplastics may affect humans and other animals isn't yet known.
Until further research can hopefully provide more insight into the dangers of microplastics from floral foam and other sources, florists like Tobey Nelson of Tobey Nelson Events + Design, LLC., are concerned about inhaling dust released when working with the product. Although Oasis recommends that florists use masks while handling their product, many don't.
"I just hope that in 10 or 15 years they don't name a syndrome 'foam lung' or something like that."
Florists may choose to use floral foam because it's familiar and easy, but Nelson points out that besides the personal health risks, considering the greater good is also important. "Yes, it's inconvenient to remember your reusable grocery bags in your car. But we all need to let go of the convenience mentality to have a more sustainable future," she says.
As awareness of floral foam's negative impacts grows, it's clear that getting on the #nofloralfoam trend is a no-brainer. And there are plenty of floral foam alternatives at your fingertips that are far more sustainable and safe to use. Here are some choices to consider for flower arrangements large and small.
Oasis now offers a fully compostable product called TerraBrick. The new product is "made from plant-based, renewable, natural coir and a compostable binder." Like Oasis floral foam, TerraBricks absorb water to keep flowers hydrated while supporting the stems in an arrangement. Then, the coir-based product can be composted and used in the garden safely.
Another new option is Oshun Pouch, created in 2020 by CEO Kirsten VanDijk of New Age Floral. The pouch is filled with a compostable material that expands in water to support even the largest casket spray, says VanDijk.
This floral foam alternative, also sold by New Age Floral, is made from basalt rock fibers, and soaks in water to help keep stems hydrated as well as in place. It comes in brick, tube, or square forms, but can be easily cut to the size of a vessel.
This little orb with holes for stems is made of a malleable (and recyclable) plastic that, with the addition of warm water, can be reshaped to fit your particular vase. They can be used on their own or combined with one another for larger arrangements.
Made of metal, ceramic, or glass, floral frogs are a timeless—and sustainable—solution for holding stems upright (in fact, they pre-date floral foam by at least a couple centuries). Just place one in the bottom of a vase, securing with a bit of putty if needed, and slip stems into it.
Creating a "pillow" out of chicken wire is an old floral design trick. It works the same way as a floral frog, creating a structure to hold flower stems. A note of caution: Chicken wire can scratch up the bottom of a vase, so don't use it with your more treasured vessels.
Filling a clear cylindrical vase with decorative stones or beads is an especially pretty way to hold stems in place. The stones also weigh down the vase to counteract any heavy stems and prevent it from toppling.
Sheet moss (readily available at floral and crafts shops) or even Spanish moss that you collect from outside can be compacted and shaped to create a base for stems.
You may know wood wool, also called excelsior, as a packing material, but floral designers are increasingly utilizing this biodegradable material. Wood wool works best if it's soaked in water first, then squeezed and formed into the desired shape.
Floral tape, a favorite tool of Los Angeles floral designer Tabia Yapp, can help keep stems where you want them. Just create a grid over the top of the vase with this specialty, water-resistant tape and insert stems into their squares.
Look around your house and you may come up with creative ways to secure flowers with whatever is on hand, as VanDijk did when she made her first sustainable design for a garden club. Instead of floral foam, "I cut a watermelon in half and put a couple of birds of paradise in it," she says. A watermelon obviously won't last as long as floral foam, but that's kind of the point. VanDijk says it worked perfectly for a design that only needed to hold up for a day.
No, floral foam is not compostable or recyclable.
Experts agree that placing it in landfill garbage is much better than washing it down the drain or adding it to yard waste, where its microplastics enter the water system and garden soil.
The best thing to do is strain the water through a very fine mesh or tight-weave fabric like an old dish towel or pillow case to remove as many foam particles as possible from the water.
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/formaldehyde/formaldehyde-fact-sheet#:~:text=The%20International%20Agency%20for%20Research,Report%20on%20Carcinogens %20%283%29.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01143-3
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969719358218?via%3Dihub
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722020009?via%3Dihub
Family Gift Box https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html