I am in events industry for more than a year now and I wanted to write about the sustainability problem in the field for a while. I was just looking for the right person to discus the topic. And I believe I found the best one! Let me introduce you to Daniele Airi – professional florist with more than 20 years of experience. Trust me, this eco-friendy person has some amazing ideas about making the wedding industry more sustainable.

By the way… When I asked him where he would like the interview to happen, I expected him to choose a posh coffee shop or restaurant somewhere in central London. However, Daniele just said: ‘Let’s talk in the park’…

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On our way here a group of naughty kids was walking in front of us. One of them threw an empty plastic bottle on the ground. You picked it up and put to the bin… It seems that looking after environment is very important to you, isn’t it?

To be honest with you, I haven’t done anything super good to the environment so far. But I would like to! I am trying to change my own habits and to find new solutions. I think all of that came from my childhood, from the place where I was growing and learning how to deal with the surrounding world. People in my home town didn’t have any education how to deal with waste. We didn’t have enough space and had way too much rubbish. So they just used to bury everything under the top layer of soil! Not only green waste, but also plastic and glass waste just ended in the big hole in the ground digged for this purpose. Seeing all that as a child and teenager I knew already, that I am not going to act like that. I think it was kind of trauma for me.
On the other hand, I had also a very good example in my own family. My grandmother from my mother’s side more than 50 years ago was, I should say, a true pioneer of recycling and reusing things. By the way, she was the person who started to sell flowers in our area as well! Everyday all the maximum amount of rubbish she and her husband would generate was size like that – (showing a ball size gap between his palms). If she would buy a drink in a plastic or glass bottle then she would reuse that bottle. For example, to keep the soup in the bathroom or store the home made tomato sauce.

So taking into consideration your experiences in Sardinia and your 5 years journey here in London as senior florist, what biggest environmental problems you would point out in the floristry industry?

The industry represents significant environmental problem, especially when we talk about flowers to decorate events. There is a misconception that flowers and greenery are biodegradable, so there are no problems. But when you take into account how many toxic pesticides are used to grow the flowers, how much fuel is used to send flowers from overseas and how much electricity is used to keep them fresh in the fridges, the impact is huge, isn’t it? And I am not even talking about not fair working conditions in African or South American countries where lots of imported flowers came from. However, the biggest problem I believe is the amount of waste. And here we are talking about tones and tones of rubbish every day. All the cut flowers and greenery comes packed carefully into boxes and plastic bags (sometimes each bloom is packed separately into plastic). Even candles comes wrapped separately into plastic and this is no need for that I believe because they are in cardboard boxes anyway. And very often you need like 350 candles per event! Moreover, big event companies throw away a lot of wood, glass, plastic, containers of paint and even huge pieces of expensive fabrics, which, obviously, could be reused. Not even to mention the piles of non-biodegradable floral foam which is the main tool nowadays used to support the structure of floral arrangements and keep flowers in place.

Are there any greener solutions than floral foam?

I think florists made step back in terms of sustainability. And it has happened because all industry is in such a rush. We need to make arrangements for wedding as quick as possible and floral foam helps a lot here. Time is money, you know. Especially in the weddings industry. But the problem is that this foam can not be reused. Before it was created, the florists were using reusable metal holder (sometimes called flower frog) with spikes to hold the flowers in place. I was a child and I remember seeing these things in my father’s shop. It was back to 1980’s. That was much more sustainable solution. The problem about it for modern florists is that you need a vase or pot filled with water to use this holder as it can not be used just on it own. The foam frees you from beeing attached to any containers. And before flower frogs I remember my father using branches of wild asparagus to make structures for funeral wreaths. He just used to put heads of carnations into that pre-made organic structure. That was 100% sustainable solution!
However, there definitely are some inovative companies who care about the problem and try to sort it out. One of them is based in Canada. They are manufacturing a new plastic tool which is eco-friendly, recyclable and reusable. Basically it is like plastic ball full of holes and gaps and you can stick the flowers into it. The ball keeps your flower arrangement into shape. You can put it inside the vase instead of flower foam. But, again, you need water container to use it.

Well, to be honest, I don’t understand what is wrong about putting flowers in pots and vases…

There is nothing wrong about it. It is about habit. We need to be contagious and spread different habit. If no, everybody just will keep going this way and will think that nothing is going to happen. But it is happening already. We are destroying our planet. And it is paradox because we are so called flower people, so we should take care of it, right?

Exactly! But what do you think about flowers themselves in this case, not about additional tools? Which is the best way to have more eco-friendly flowers for your big day?

To grow your own!

Right… It is easy to say, but not to do. Especially in central London…

Again: we need to change our habits. Import is easy, growing is not.
However, you don’t necessarily need to grow yourself. The main idea is to source local flowers and greenery. According the Guardian, the UK spends £2.2bn on cut flowers every year, but just 10% are grown here compared to 20 years ago, when half of flowers sold here were from the UK. What does it mean? That means more fuel and electricity used for transportation and storage. The math is simple here!
For me, all the solutions are in front of us. Maybe your best friend is farmer or has amazing garden. That could be just great solution for you to ask some flowers and greenery! The biggest problem in this case is communication between people. Because when you share your ideas and problems with others is it much more easier to find an answer. Look at these trees in front of us. Imagine, that their branches are too low and the gardener needs to prune them. From the florist’s point of view, these pruned branches would be nothing but greenery! You could use them probably twice to decorate an event and probably… for free of charge! But, of course, it is easier to take the green waste to the recycle site, isn’t it? Could be more sustainable choice to reuse the greenery. Well, at least you could cut the fuel emissions…

As far as I know you recently you started volunteering as gardener in the church park in North West London. Are you planning to reuse the pruned greenery?

Yes, that was the idea. I am also planning to make the paper from the cut grass in the future. But the main thing at the moment is to try to keep the park clean and to be contagious – to show the members of community that they need to be more clean too. But it is not easy. As I go there just one day per week, I need to spend few hours picking up rubbish. And it is hard, because you know, that next week you will find the park terribly littered again… People need to understand that they need to become more tidy not for me, but for themselves. One day we will literally drink and eat plastic. People don’t realize our world is going worse.

I know it could be quite controversial question for professional florist like you, but I will try my chances. What is your opinion about alternative bouquets and table centerpieces, for example, the ones made from pot plants, vegetables or books and candles? Can you imagine a wedding without any cut flowers?

In my opinion, the floristry industry will die one day. We won’t use fresh flowers forever. Humanity is running out of resources already. So in the future we will use whatever we could find around us. And I am very open-minded. To be honest, we don’t need flowers all the time. Flowers are traditional option, but just an option. We need things and different materials. If we would look around us, everything is piece of art. But, of course, the searching process is much easier when you go to the flower market and everything is already cut and put in water. You just need to pick up the box or package and pay for it with your contactless payment card. It is much more difficult to arrange picking up some free greenery from the garden, isn’t it? You have to spend your precious time. Even if you save money, everything is about being comfortable. This is modern reality: everything must be ready for you. It will be very hard to change this attitude. But it is not mission impossible!

So what would tell me, if i would be a modern bride trying to cope with this moder reality and have more sustainable wedding?

I would wish you to find your way to make your wedding the best wedding ever! And to believe that you can do this and you have enough funds for it!  And not to be afraid to involve people close to you. Because they want to help you! It is you who doesn’t want to make them upset or tired. It is you who is stopping yourself, not your loved ones. So more usually than not they would be more than happy to help. You just need to ask! Believe me, in every family there is an aunt, uncle or other member who is passionate about flowers or has a lot of plants. Or maybe your cousin is a carpenter? Or could you ask your grandmother to borrow some beautiful old things from her house? I believe I could create 10, maybe even 20 different and unique weddings using things and materials I have back home in Sardinia…

Just, you know, sometimes the solution is too easy and could not be seen. ‘L’essenziale è invisible agli occhi’ (‘That which is essential is invisible to the eye’), said The Little Prince in the amazing story written by Antoine de Saint Exupery. Very good quote. We definitely have everything what we need in front of us. So try to use for your wedding what you already have. Try to source local flowers. Or maybe you could adapt your wedding theme to the history of your family. Maybe your beloved grandfather used to bring your grandmother her favorite local flowers every Friday during their blooming season and you could use this legacy for your event decor? I believe that would be much nicer and more personal than just to use peonies for your decor because you have seen them in your friends wedding or in the popular wedding magazine and they were amazing. Is there any personality in that? I doubt it. Just please… dare to be yourself!

 

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If you would like to contact Daniele, please visit his Instagram profile @danflorist. He said that he would be more than happy to share his expertise with you!