Did you know that floral foam is made of plastic particles and chemicals that end up in landfill?

Floral foam is a form of plastic created by reacting phenol and formaldehyde and injecting this with air to create foam. Detergents are then used to create the foam’s absorbency. It is not biodegradable as it contains made-made chemicals. It not only ends up taking space in landfill and leaking chemicals, but it often escapes into water ways. Tiny particles disappear down the sink after the bricks are soaked. These tiny particles go on to pollute water ways and can be ingested by fish and other organisms. When dry, floral foam breaks down into dust which can be harmful to the skin and respiratory system.

There are so many other ways to arrange flowers without using floral foam, for example:

• To give flowers support in a tricky vase or to give structure and support to a table centre, make a frame using chicken wire. Cut a section of wire and roll it into a ball. Insert this into your vase, bowl or urn and poke the stems though the holes. If the vessel you are using is transparent, insert a large leaf into the water and push around the side of the vase to hide the chicken wire.
  
• For Christmas wreaths, make your own frame using woody vines or pliable branches such as willow, wisteria, vine, trailing ivy or olive. Otherwise, opt for a pre-made straw or copper wreath base and re-use it every year.
  
• For a floral gift that will last, make a posy and place it into a jam jar half-filled with water. Decorate the jar with a pretty bow or raffia.