Churches urged to ban floral foam and parishioners to donate their own flowers

Places of worship are being urged to ban floral foam and parishioners encouraged to donate flowers from their own gardens in a bid to be more sustainable.

The Church of England’s parliament will vote next month on a motion to eliminate the use of floral foam – which contains microplastics and is not recyclable – and other non-biodegradable products in an effort to be more environmentally friendly.

Tips for sustainability include churches making use of their own gardens, composting waste and re-using flowers from Sundays for midweek services or giving them to care homes and hospitals.

Parishioners could also be encouraged to donate flowers from their gardens or pot plants from home, something said to be likely to build community and reduce costs.

Bishop of Dudley, the Right Reverend Martin Gorick, said General Synod members voting for his motion “will encourage all Church of England parishes, chaplaincies and cathedrals to join this growing ecumenical movement glorifying God through sustainable church flowers”.

In a paper ahead of the Synod meeting in London in February, he stated: “From adorning altars to celebrating weddings and marking seasonal festivals, floral arrangements bring beauty, symbolism, and a sense of reverence to sacred spaces.

“Yet, behind their elegance lies an often-overlooked reality: traditional floristry can carry significant environmental costs. Imported blooms, single-use plastics, chemical preservatives, and non-compostable floral foam all contribute to waste and carbon emissions.”

Synod members are being urged to glorify God using the gifts of creation “in a way that works with nature, not against it”.

The motion calls on members to vote to embrace the principles of the Sustainable Church Flowers (SCF) movement through the promotion of local, seasonal and fully biodegradable or compostable flowers and foliage; encourage the use of locally-sourced and in-season blooms; and stop using floral foam “and all similar non-biodegradable and non-reusable products and techniques”.

The paper stated that a single block of foam “contains the same amount of plastic as 10 carrier bags” and its microplastic beads can pass into soil and water, resulting in damage to wildlife.

Suggested alternatives to using foam for arrangements include “scrunched-up chicken wire, making structures from twigs, or simply using taller vases” while other options include pebbles, sand, moss and glass marbles.

The SCF movement was founded in 2019 in Harpley, Worcestershire, with Bishop Gorick noting it “began in a small Worcestershire village, where the PCC (parochial church council) was determined to make a tangible difference locally”.

In 2020, the Royal Horticultural Society announced a ban on the use of floral foam at the following year’s Chelsea Flower Show.