Florists hear this from their clients all the time “what happens to the flowers after the event?” or “why is the cost of breakdown so expensive?” I wish the answers were the same across the industry but unfortunately that’s just not the case. Some designers don’t have the means to compost for a multitude of reasons- they don’t know where to put it (it’s tough in a city!) it takes an actual extra day of work to do properly and not everyone has the time or budget for that kind of labor. If a designer chooses to use foam, dyed or bleached flowers- none of which can be composted. As I wrap up one of my larger scale events of the season I thought it’d be a good time to share how I handle breaking down an event. my team returns to the venue late at night and is given one measly hour to remove everything we installed earlier in the day. The entire ceremony structure gets disassembled, the ceiling installation is taken down, centerpieces are packed back up, and the hardgoods like candles and vases are packed to be cleaned and stored for the next event. This is the work not a lot of people consider as part of being a florist. I wish there was a little more discourse around why it’s important that florists handle the waste they produce responsibly. “Organic waste in landfills generates, methane, a potent greenhouse gas. By composting wasted food and other organics, methane emissions are significantly reduced.” (www.epa.gov) I mentioned in the reel itself that it would be monumentally easier and time saving if I was to just throw everything away. If I did that I feel I’m doing a major disservice to my clients after all the money they just spent for me to do my job WELL. Proper waste management is integral at Fleetwood Floral and should be a long-standing standard in the industry. That’s the end of my rant, enjoy the messy real, and thanks for being here. The more you know. . . . . #weddingflorals #sustainableevents #composting #fleetwoodfloral #nycflorist #sustainablebride #eventplanning #slowflowers #ecoresponsable