Freshly-cut flowers are a MUST for florists. Yet how many of them are produced and end up in the dustbin? A selection is made as soon as they are produced. Not every flower that comes out of the ground is suitable for sale. The same applies to flowers that are destined for stabilisation. On average, one flower out of ten does not pass the first sorting. What about the rest?
From producer to wholesaler, refrigerated plane for some and ship for others.
The route of all risks for fresh flowers.
After the cut, flowers have been packaged, they are palletized for initial storage in containers. From South America or Africa, they are then transported to Europe by refrigerated transport. On arrival, they are checked. At least 10% are rejected on receipt because they are damaged and therefore unsaleable. As not everything can be checked, if the inspector finds a few products on the outside of the pallet that do not comply, the pallet is rejected completely.
A slow, peaceful journey for preserved flowers.
Almost all the flowers that are stabilised are processed. They can then be quietly packed and transported to Europe without any special conditions. Transport by ship rather than by air is even preferable (with a significantly different carbon footprint). On arrival, 100% of the products are usable.
From wholesalers to professionals, there are many losses of fresh flowers.
The wholesaler seeks to sell their products to florists. They will also have to supply them to people who buy by correspondence. However, in addition to losses during transport, wholesalers do not sell their entire stock. Unsold products are thrown away and will never be used. In contrast, all preserved flowers can be sold and transported easily to florists.
From the plant professional to the final consumer, a race against time.
Finally, florists do not sell all the fresh flowers they buy either. They play against time to create and sell their bouquets and commercial arrangements before the flowers wilt. On the other hand, they can take the time to process and sell their preserved flowers.
Producing a flower requires energy from the earth. It is a pity to use the earth for only 4 out of every 10 flowers made. So why not use it to produce a preserved, sustainable and waste-free flower?
