A Dunmow florist is taking active steps that help the environment, the latest move in the town with a bigger picture in mind.
Stephanie Harris of The Rose Garden sourced showstopper red roses from Columbia for customer bouquets for Valentine's Day. The blooms had been grown outside rather than a heated greenhouse in Holland.
Other flowers come from locations such as nearby Broxted.
She has also installed Fernando the Fridge to keep flowers cool and fresh, and has been working more with wire, willow and moss to cut plastic use for items like wreaths and arrangements. Their paper wrap is compostable.
Stephanie said the red Valentine's Day roses were so popular they sold out, the first time this has happened since she opened her business.
"In the past we have always used red Naomi but because of the issues of the price of energy the flowers coming in from Holland have not been as good.
"The growers are not heating the flowers sufficiently well as the heads are small or we are paying a premium."
She added: "As far as our carbon footprint is concerned, it's better to get them from Colombia. They were stunning."
Stephanie and her staff took the Explorer roses home for a trial run and they lasted between 16 and 19 days.
The Rose Garden is now doing a lot of living wreath arrangements for the Old Park Natural Burial Ground at North End.
Eco-swap sales rail
The florist is the latest Dunmow business taking environmental steps.
Nikki Anthony, owner of ladies boutique Wardrobe, set up an eco-swap sales rail.
She encouraged customers to bring in little used items from their wardrobe, to boost the number of times a garment is worn by finding it another home.
They sold 140 items in just a few days earlier this month and the eco-swap could be repeated again later in the year.
Nikki said eco-swaps are becoming more common in UK stores as people are becoming very aware of their consumer footprint.
Climate emergency
In January, Great Dunmow Town Council members unanimously declared a climate and ecological emergency and passed a motion to request that the Pensions Strategy Board of the Essex Pension Fund divest from fossil fuels.
They want the council to commit to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 or earlier - including looking at the council's own vehicles, and at indirect emissions such as electricity suppliers.
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