Why Flowers Aren’t A Green Gift

If you’re thinking of buying flowers for your mom or friends this Mother’s Day, it might be better to buy them something else. Fresh flowers aren’t a green choice. Although they’re beautiful and really brighten up a room, they have a not-so-pretty impact on the environment. Here’s what you need to know about them.

They Gobble Up Pesticides

Flowers are sprayed with lots of pesticides to prevent insects from destroying them while they grow. Scarily, flowers don’t follow the same rules for pesticides as edible crops do. That means loads of pesticides can be used on them without anyone raising an eyebrow. The cut flower industry is a huge consumer of pesticides on a global scale.

They Might Not Be Locally Produced

Often, flowers you buy from the shop are actually transported from elsewhere in the world. In fact, 78 percent of cut flowers that are bought in the United States are actually imported from countries such as Ecuador where the weather is warm and flowers can grow beautifully all year round. It takes a lot of carbon dioxide to transport those flowers to you.

They Really Don’t Last

In 2017, Australia imported over five million rose stems from Kenya for Valentine’s Day. Is all that carbon emission worth it? Not at all. If you’re lucky, those pretty roses will last a few days or a week, but then they’ll start to die. When you throw them into the bin, they’ll end up in a landfill. During decay, the flowers will release methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

They’re Smothered In Plastic

Pretty bouquets are often covered in cellophane. Although it’s considered to be a bit better for the environment than other plastics, there are many dangers associated with cellophane. This plastic is produced by dissolving plant fiber in a mixture of alkali and carbon disulfide. Then, a sulfuric acid and sodium sulfate blend are added. Further chemicals are used, such as glycerol and nitrocellulose and wax. There are many unhealthy toxins that are involved in this production process, and they have negative effects for our health. For instance, they can affect the nervous system. That’s definitely not the kind of gift you want to spoil your loved ones with!

image