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Communicating Environmental Sustainability Messaging to Your Consumers

By: Melinda Knuth, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Horticultural Science at NC State University Happy Earth Month! This is a significant sustainability holiday in U.S. history. Celebrated in April, Earth Day was created in 1970 to invigorate environmental protection into the national political agenda. This push was in-part due to Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring, a significant oil spill that happened off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, and general consumer concern over pollution. We have this push to thank for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As a result, Earth Day is a natural anniversary of the modern environmental movement and is celebrated as a month-long event. In fact, now more than 140 countries celebrate with the U.S., making it a…

Sustainabloom Guide for Substrates

In flower production systems, substrates can offer several advantages over soil, including lower pest and pathogen pressure, fewer weed seeds, reduced risk of heavy metal contamination, and lighter weight. They also provide greater flexibility in production location and scale, improved management of water and air pore space, expanded opportunities for year-round production, and increased water use efficiency. Substrates are core components for plant health and vitality, as well as an element of environmental impact and sustainability outcomes. A well-structured substrate can lead to a healthier return on investment, as plant development is heartier and there can be less financial burden on the business owner for things like fertilizers and pesticides. All the while, the optimal substrate takes a gentler toll…

Celebrate Earth Day and Join Every Bloom Counts!

Flowers connect people to the natural world. And across the floral industry, businesses are exploring how to reduce environmental impacts while continuing to grow and deliver flowers for celebrations, special moments, and everyday life. The American Floral Endowment’s Sustainabloom program was created to support that work. Through practical tools, research-based resources, and industry collaboration, Sustainabloom helps growers, wholesalers, suppliers, and florists navigate sustainability in their day-to-day operations. As we lead up to Earth Day, we’re launching Every Bloom Counts, an Earth Week (April 15-22) campaign supporting sustainability across the floral industry. Our goal is to reach 100 supporters. Any donation amount helps! Contributions to Sustainabloom will strengthen educational resources, tools to support sustainability planning, and collaboration across the floral supply chain. From greenhouse production…

Register for Sustainabloom’s Upcoming Webinar on March 25th! How Sustainability Shows Up in Everyday Floral Operations

Sustainability is often discussed in broad terms, but what does it actually look like in the day-to-day operations of floral businesses? In this Sustainabloomwebinar on Wednesday, March 25th at 1PM EST, leaders from across the floral supply chain share how sustainability influences real business decisions, from materials and production practices to retail operations and customer communication. Hear from Grace Hungerford, sustainability officer at Growscape, on innovations in containers and materials; Seth Reed of Ball Horticultural Company on sustainability considerations in large-scale ornamental and flower production; and Pilar Zuniga, founder of Gorgeous and Green and creator of the Sustainable Flower School on how florists can incorporate environmentally responsible practices into their business. The session will be moderated by Amanda Solliday, Senior Manager for Sustainabloom. Together, the panel will highlight practical examples of how sustainability moves…

Sustainabloom Launches NEW Sustainability Template for Wholesale Florists

Sustainabloom by the American Floral Endowment (AFE) has introduced a new sustainability planning template to support wholesale florists in assessing their operations, identifying opportunities for improvement, and implementing a clear framework for measurable progress toward their sustainability goals. Sustainabloom Senior Manager Amanda Solliday and AFE Executive Director Debi Chedester sharing the template at the WFFSA Floral Distribution Conference luncheon. The template was released at the 2026 WFFSA Floral Distribution Conference in Miami, FL – the premiere floral industry show for wholesale floral suppliers. AFE and Sustainabloom were recognized as the official Sustainability Sponsor for this event.  Developed with input from industry partners and the results of an industry-wide survey, the Sustainability Planning Template for Wholesale Florists provides a straightforward, clear and flexible framework that meets wholesalers wherever…

Resource Available for Integrated Pest Management

Pest management plays a big role in keeping floriculture businesses running smoothly. Without it, practitioners struggle with reduced quality, inadequate production, and disease. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a strategy that allows growers to handle effective pest control in a comprehensive manner, incorporating biological, chemical, cultural, and physical control methods..  Sustainabloom has called upon the expertise of researchers to help growers learn to implement IPM effectively in their practices. Through a detailed guide and supplemental resources, researchers Amanda Solliday and Dr. Melinda Knuth of the Department of Horticultural Sciences at North Carolina State University not only provide valuable guidance about IPM to growers but also explain how an effective strategy can lead to improved product quality and a more sustainable-friendly…

A Welcome Message from the New Sustainabloom Senior Manager

Hello, I’m thrilled to be joining the American Floral Endowment’s team as the senior program manager for the Sustainabloom program. There's a strong opportunity for floral businesses to meet growing consumer interest in sustainability, with many customers wanting to support and pay more for more sustainable flowers. Sustainable practices can also lead to operational efficiencies, cost savings, and new revenue streams, as demonstrated by fuel efficiency at Armellini, carbon credits at Continental Floral Greens, and plastics alternatives at Mayesh.  This year, our focus is on supporting you as an implementation partner for sustainability. To do that, we are going to be very active with outreach and education, including a regular webinar series on topics including how sustainability shows up in…

Florverde Sustainable Flowers: Internationally Recognized Sustainability from the Origin

Florverde Sustainable Flowers is internationally recognized as a credible, data-driven sustainability system aligned with the expectations of leading global retailers and market initiatives. Florverde holds SSCI social recognition for primary production, awarded by The Consumer Goods Forum. This distinction confirms Florverde’s robustness in managing labor and social responsibility at farm level, within a global governance framework where Walmart participates at Board level.  Florverde is also accepted under the Walmart U.S. Pollinator Health Position, demonstrating strong adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and environmental stewardship practices. In addition, Florverde is one of only sixteen certification schemes approved under the Ethical Charter Implementation Program (ECIP), placing it alongside globally trusted programs such as Fair Trade USA, Rainforest Alliance, GLOBALG.A.P. + GRASP, SA8000,…

Moving Toward More Responsible Plastic Use in Floral Businesses

Plastics play a major role in floriculture, showing up everywhere from propagation trays and plant containers to floral sleeves, shipping crates, and even price tags. For growers, wholesalers, and retailers alike, plastics offer convenience, durability, and cost efficiency, making them difficult to replace entirely. At the same time, as the industry continues to explore more sustainable practices, plastics present a real challenge. Many businesses are working to balance the practical benefits of plastic with growing concerns about waste, recyclability, and environmental impact. Finding that balance is an important step toward operating within a more circular economy. Sustainabloom offers a collection of guides designed to help floriculture businesses better understand and manage their use of plastics. These resources take a closer…

Redefining Candlelight Through Sustainable Innovation

InfiniTea Candles™ believes beauty shouldn’t come at the cost of the planet. After more than 30 years in the wedding and event industry, their founder witnessed the same troubling pattern night after night: melted pillars, warped LED candles, wax-filled cylinders, and bags of single-use décor tossed in the trash. These moments of celebration create an enormous, unseen environmental footprint. Their patent-pending pillars are crafted from durable, heat-resistant materials and designed to be reused endlessly. Instead of burning through dozens of wax pillars or replacing disposable LEDs, InfiniTea offers a low-waste alternative that looks and performs like traditional candlelight. Each pillar houses a standard reusable 1.5” insert, allowing for real tea lights, LED tea lights, or even oil-lamp inserts—giving event designers,…

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