Sustainable Orchids

 

Orchids make an excellent gift, they are considered to represent love, beauty and strength. However, the popularity of houseplants in recent years has brought to light the potential harm they can have on the environment in the way in which they are grown.

A common concern for houseplants sold in the UK are “plant miles”- the emissions caused when they travel overseas. However, many of these plants are grown in Holland and shipped in bulk via road- considerably less harmful than other modes of transport- causing roughly the same amount of impact as driving to a garden centre to just pick up one plant (according to The Guardian writer James Wong). What causes the majority of carbon emissions is the way that house plants, particularly exotic plants, are grown in heated environments. That’s why we sourced our orchids from GreenBalanZ.

GreenBalanZ are a Dutch company that consider themselves pioneers in sustainability. They have been committed to producing organic orchids with as small a carbon footprint as possible since 2014. They produce less harmful gases than their competitors by storing natural energy from the summer months to use to heat their greenhouses in the winter. On top of this, the majority of their packaging is sustainably made, for example, their labels are made of bio-based paper. Moreover, GreenBalanZ are SKAL certified, meaning they meet the legal requirements to have their orchids branded as an organic product, this is virtually unheard of for ornamental flowers and plants.

In summary, Kensington Flowers takes sustainability very seriously. We are fortunate enough to have found these orchids via Craig from Quality Plants: Exterior Ornamentals Limited, a fantastic supplier at the flower market. We try to reduce our carbon footprint as much and possible, whether that’s using biodegradable wrapping or in chance findings such as these. Big thanks to Craig!