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On the Level with Neville: April 2009
It Ain’t Easy Being Green! |
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Written by Neville MacKay
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Boy, Kermit the Frog sure said a mouthful when he sang that little song on the lily pad so many years ago, and here we are today, trying to do whatever we can to be, go or become green! In our industry, there are many of us who have lived long enough to know the importance of the three R’s (reduce, reuse, and recycle) and have always practised them. I spoke to my friend, Barbara Hensel, (a master designer from Europe) in Toronto in January and we joked about what we had to use and reuse in our industry years ago.
This “trend” to go green is a mystery to a few, a revelation to many and not more than a pain in the butt to others. I know how you feel, as we’ve all had thoughts run through our heads when we get the “conscious client” coming in wanting everything “bio-this” and “organic-that,” dripping in diamonds and fur, yet not really understanding the whole picture. Going green can, however, be a great money-making opportunity too, and these days we’ve got to do whatever we can to get where we want to be!
My mother always said, “Waste not…want not!” as she cleaned and saved all the trays, tins and tubs from the grocery store. (My brother tosses them in the blue bag as soon as she turns her back now!) I remember an old lady from my town also who used to make a cup of tea and then hang the bag to dry! Now that’s recycling! (Cheap old crow!) I find now rather than saving everything in our flower shop, we’re opting not to have it to start with whenever possible. It’s amazing what we can do without, isn’t it? We’re seeing packaging being less important (although I still love to see things wrapped and presented nicely) and when sending flowers out in my store, we are using biodegradable plastic when plastic is necessary.
Reuseable containers for designing are what we utilize in the shop. We don’t use a third of those little plastic dishes (we used to call them PB100s) now, opting for ceramic, wicker or glass instead. I know some of you are saying this isn’t cost effective, but these days a lot of these containers are cheaper than plastic. As for cost, a container that can be reused adds dollar value to a design, which is always a plus. Glass and ceramic also add weight, which, unlike the weight that’s resting on my arse-end, adds perceived value to a design.
Although we sell affordable luxuries in the floral and plant industry, we have to be careful as business people when making choices with our fresh purchases. Here at my store we are always asking where our flowers come from, knowing our suppliers are buying from socially and environmentally responsible farms whenever possible. Also, getting flowers trucked in rather than flown makes less of an impact on the environment, and using local suppliers is also beneficial to all. There are some great growers here in Canada. These green efforts are all well and good but don’t forget – it won’t bring you any more business unless you tell your customers you’re doing it! In our store we have a sign posted that describes just what we are doing and I know I’ve gotten a lot of business from this one sign! Many of us sell plants that are a natural green addition to the home or office, and we need to promote and spread the word about all of their virtues from cleaning the air to calming stress. Some call this type of promotion “green-washing” which has a negative tone to it. I call it telling the truth.
For some time now we’ve been saving the sticks, leaves and stems that otherwise would get tossed and I take them home to compost them in my garden. I usually pile the bags up in the back garden all winter to use in the spring and it’s amazing how much there is! (It’s also very amazing how many design knives and clippers I find too!) From this free gift of leftovers, I’ve been able to grow many of the summer flowers that we sell here at the store.
Folks are really getting into the swing of things now, thank goodness, and we’re seeing not only water tubes being returned (gee, thanks!) but also all sorts of glassware and other goodies. We usually offer a few stems as thanks, which is so appreciated. This is a sort of recycling program, and although we don’t openly promote it here (which wouldn’t be a bad idea) many clients bring back their reuseables.
Well, old Froggie, it really ain’t that hard being green, just as long as you know what you’re doing. Now, let’s all sing (except you, Derrek in Winnipeg!) to the world of all the green things we do in our industry!
Neville owns and operates My Mother’s Bloomers in Halifax and lives close to Peggy’s Cove with his partner, David, three cats and an overgrown garden. For more info on Neville or to book him for a show or talk, check out www.mymothersbloomers.com.
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