Second meeting

Today we went on our research trip around to some local florists. We had an awesome time, and it was enlightening but also somewhat disappointing. We found that some florists were happy to be quite forthright and honest with the understanding that this was just a chance for us to get an understanding of the industry, whereas others seemed overly protective of their businesses and said contradictory things which made us question their honesty.

These are some of the notes we made that we thought could be of use:

Shop 1:
* wants to be green but isn't an option as it's further up the chain above her that wholesalers use plastics, etc.
* gets stock from the UFG Flower Market (works like a dutch auction, and you must have a trade account) - contact Wilfred at UFG.
* excess of rubber bands and plastic sleeves which is wasteful.
* does not facilitate what happens with the flowers after they're sold but knows that one of the Churches that buys flowers donates them to the Hospice after use.
* no fridges as this makes the flower spoil quicker once they're out in the heat, so is a lesser quality product.
* Pride in quality and being a trusted supplier of flowers
* yes to organic waste - both stems and flowers
* approx 20/30% of flowers each week are wasted - the cost of which is a problem from a business perspective.
* sometimes floral waste is saved to remove the petals and provide for funeral orders.
* roses are one of the biggest waste areas
* composting is easier at suburban stores but in inner city is much more difficult and so doesn't separate green waste and other waste.
* greenery lasts really well so doesn't end up getting wasted (other than stem offcuts)
* offers a paper and twine packaging option for those seeking a more organic style.

Shop 2:
* mentioned minimal waste - but then went on to tell us of stems and plastic being thrown away.
* Flowers are ordered from Auckland (these are treated)
* Roses from Columbia
* High turnover in inner city location stops waste of flowers
* Ibis Hotel are eco-concious and offered to share their composting
* Waste is not separated
* won't sell if the flowers aren't to a high quality - did not say what happened to these 'not good enough' flowers

Shop 3:
* all sorts of waste is un-sorted, re-used where possible
* cost has a big impact on decisions when it comes to eco-consciousness
* flowers were stored in a fridge for longevity
* trade off with the cafe nearby at the end of the day - older, un-sellable flowers are traded for end of day food (sandwhiches etc.) LOVE THIS!

Shop 4:
* also uses UFG flower market or has direct access to growers
* does a lot of corporate work as well as the standard walkins and orders
* apparently leafs/stems are the only waste!

Shop 5:
* separates green waste from other waste for composting at the landfill
* collects all the rubber bands together for re-use
* collects all the plastic sleeves and returns these to growers to reuse
* old flowers are sold at a reduced price on saturday's, and the leftovers are picked up by a nurse who takes them to a mental hospital.
* old flower petals are saved and shared with people on the reduced Saturday
* newspapers are saved for wet wraps to keep the flowers nice during travel
*definitely believes there is too much of the rubber bands and plastic sleeves!