Developing sustainable, plastic-free solutions for the flower industry

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The global cut flower industry is valued at £22.8 billion(Global\_Industry\_Analysts\_2020), with the UK cut flower industry accounting for £1.6 billion of retail sales(NFU\_2016). There are an estimated 14,077 florists in the UK, responsible for selling approximately 25% of UK cut flowers. Florists are typically micro, owner-operated businesses. Operating on low margins, developing new technologies or adopting more sustainable practices is presently out of reach for many.Larry Walshe is a luxury events florist founded in 2014\. Over the last 6 years, we have built a nationally and internationally renowned brand, commissioned by Royal Households and globally leading British brands including Stella McCartney. However, COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on our business, with weddings cancelled or postponed as a result of national and international bans on large-scale gatherings. The future for large-scale events remains highly uncertain.In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Larry Walshe is building a luxury e-flowers business, which will deliver resilience in the face of potential future global disruption. Our ambition is to "build back better" and be the first UK-based sustainable, carbon-neutral, and plastic-free e-florist. We have already taken significant steps towards achieving this:* **Carbon-neutral:** Working with the Carbon Trust, we have committed to measure our carbon footprint, reducing carbon emissions wherever possible (e.g., sourcing UK-grown flowers), and offsetting unavoidable emissions.* **Plastic-free:** Our bespoke flower arrangements are instead packaged in recyclable materials, including FSC-certified cardboard.* **Ethical:** We source Fairtrade flowers wherever possible, which ensures safety and working conditions for flower workers.However, in developing our sustainable e-florist offering, we have come across one major hurdle: the plastic sachets of flower food, which are provided free with each bouquet of flowers. Flower food plays an essential role in prolonging vase life, by up to 60%. However, plastic flower food sachets contribute to the estimated 855 billion single-use sachets that are thrown away every year (enough to cover the entire surface of our planet). We estimate that 0.5 billion plastic flower food sachets are distributed each year solely by florists in Europe. Although this accounts for a small percentage of the total single-use sachets, as an industry that relies on the beauty of nature, we have a responsibility to our planet to stop profiting from unsustainable practices.Inspired by emerging plastic-free bio-based materials being developed in response to the global plastics crisis, we have developed a product concept for a plastic-free flower food sachet. With Innovate UK support, we propose to work with identified bio-based materials manufacturers to reach experimental proof-of-concept stage for our plastic-free flower food sachet, which delivers not just on its environmental credentials, but also offers improved usability, guided by inclusive design principles.Post-project, we plan to further develop and commercialise our sustainable flower food sachet within our new e-floristry business, but also to supply sustainable plastic-free flower food sachets to florists based across the world. Thus, this project will demonstrate UK leadership in sustainable packaging and support the global floristry industry to transition to a more sustainable future.Leaving an impact, not a trace.