When roses are green: how to buy eco-friendly Valentine’s Day flowers
Stay away from cut flowers this Valentine’s Day with these more
environment-friendly alternatives from local shops
Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest days of the year for the flower industry. What says “I love you” more than a big bouquet of roses, right? But unfortunately, cut flowers in general and roses in particular have quite the environmental footprint.
The flower market is a global billion-pound industry and the market for cut flowers and ornamental plants in the UK alone was valued at £1.4bn in 2019. Most of the UK’s flowers are imported: the majority come from the Netherlands and travels through Aalsmeer’s famous flower market. This means a time-sensitive transportation process, with flowers being refrigerated to they stay fresh until delivery – as they usually only last about a week. In that respect, the same rule applies to flowers as it does to food: the better option is to shop