The cut flower industry has a sustainability problem that most people don't think about. Roses flown from Ecuador or Kenya to Canada, refrigerated the entire way, displayed for 10 days and thrown away โ repeated 52 times a year. The environmental footprint is significant.
Preserved roses offer a genuinely more sustainable alternative. Here's the honest breakdown.
The Environmental Cost of Fresh Cut Flowers
Over 80% of cut flowers sold in Canada are imported โ primarily from Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya. The journey involves:
- Air freight (one of the most carbon-intensive transport methods)
- Refrigeration throughout the supply chain
- Significant pesticide and water use at the source farm
- Packaging waste
- A lifespan of 7โ10 days before landfill
For a bouquet purchased every month, the annual environmental cost is substantial.
How Preserved Roses Compare
Preserved roses are also imported โ there's no avoiding that. But the key difference is lifespan. One set of Floragram preserved roses lasts 1โ3 years. That's one air freight journey for 3 years of enjoyment, versus 36 journeys for the same period of fresh flowers.
Per year of enjoyment, the carbon footprint of preserved roses is dramatically lower.
No Water, No Chemicals After Purchase
Fresh flowers require water โ sometimes treated water โ and many people add flower food (chemical preservatives) to extend their life. Preserved roses require nothing after purchase. No water. No chemicals. No ongoing resource consumption.
Less Packaging Waste
A monthly fresh flower delivery means 12 rounds of packaging waste per year โ plastic wrapping, foam inserts, cellophane, ribbons. One Floragram rose box, purchased once, produces a fraction of that waste for 1โ3 years of enjoyment.
The Honest Caveat
Preserved roses aren't perfect. The glycerin preservation process uses resources. The initial shipping footprint is real. And at the end of their life, preserved roses aren't compostable in the same way fresh flowers are.
But on balance โ particularly measured per year of enjoyment โ preserved roses are meaningfully more sustainable than a fresh flower habit.
The Bottom Line
If you love flowers and care about your environmental impact, preserved roses are a genuinely better choice. One purchase. Years of beauty. A fraction of the ongoing footprint.