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Is it a good practice sending flowers for Mother’s Day? Happy mothers dayThink Sustainability Before You Buy!

I have read one post this morning: it is speaking about an interesting point I have not thinking before. That’s why  I would like to share it with you! I am just coping the part I consider more interesting, but I suggest you read the complete article.

In a society increasingly conscious of purchasing local foods, recycling, and conserving natural resources, all to be healthier and kinder to our environment, why are cut flowers still such a powerful commodity? We can’t eat them, and they die within a week, so it’s hard to justify the purchase.

You would never guess that the fresh, bright flowers delivered to our doorsteps, sometimes overnight, have probably travelled thousands and thousands of miles to make it just in time for that special occasion. Cut flowers typically come from the Netherlands, where they’re often grown in greenhouses due to the cold winters; Africa, especially the country of Kenya; and South America, Colombia in particular.

Flowers enter the US through major coastal ports, such as Miami, and are then trucked or flown to supermarkets, florists, and homes nationwide. Beyond the enormously negative environmental effects of these massive transportation needs are the embodied emissions and destruction done in the product lifecycle. This includes the fossil fuels used for cultivation, the production of fertilizer and the negative effects of that fertilized run-off on local waterways, refrigeration needs for transportation, and the use of pesticides for preservation. All this for a product with a purely aesthetic value.

This Mother’s Day, think before you place an order for the flower delivery. Became creative to be more sustainable!

To read more click here!