With an ever-increasing emphasis on the climate, we’re often asked how to decorate sustainably for the festive season. As plant experts with great respect for the living world, we try and protect the planet where we can – and this extends to the amazing Christmas displays we install for our clients!
This year businesses, hotels, and shopping centres are preparing to put festive decorations up for the first time in almost two years – and we’re here to help them match their sustainable ambitions with stunning installations.
Here are our top tips for sustainable decorating this season!
Plastic-free Christmas decorations
For many of the companies we work with (such as MITIE), we have been working on 100% plastic-free decorations. Instead, we’re using decorations made of natural materials including wood, wicker, knitted wool, and recycled satin bows.
There are so many ways to achieve a festive look without plastic, as well as creating pieces that have the potential to be reused in subsequent years.
Not only do our installations have to withstand the entire festive season, we’re also thinking of how we can deconstruct and reuse materials to reduce our carbon footprint.
Go organic with your Christmas decorations
Christmas decorations, whatever they’re made of, have to look the part. So why not go all out and make them good enough to eat? Literally!
This year, the Fleurtations team has ordered more than 10,000 dried oranges for use in sustainable displays. Not only is this a classic part of Christmas greenery, but it’s also 100% natural as the fruit can fully biodegrade, unlike other materials.
Thinking of giving festive greenery a go? Go natural and enjoy the smells of nature this Christmas.
But what about sparkle?
Is it really Christmas time without the sparkle?
For many businesses such as restaurants, bars and shopping centres, it has been almost two years without a festive display. So, can you achieve Christmas magic without ruining the planet? Don’t worry – that’s where low-energy bulbs and biodegradable glitter come in!
We like to call it sustainable sparkle!
Where we can, we’re reducing the number of single-use and plastic decorations and instead, using low-energy LED lights to help the nation get into the festive spirit. Same sparkle, less waste! We’re also incorporating a lot of biodegradable glitter into our displays to help us achieve the Christmas sparkle without the negative impact of microplastics.
Here’s what our Director, Belinda Jarron, has to say on the subject:
“It’ll certainly be a green Christmas this year in Scotland this year. Sustainability was already becoming an increasingly large feature of displays before the pandemic and COP26 and it appears companies, hotels, bars, and restaurants are paying even more attention to their green credentials this year.”
“It’s the first time we’ve been asked to create a completely plastic-free display, and it’s been a lot of fun coming up with solutions. There’s something very traditional about a return to wood, wool, and other natural materials.”
The most wonderful (and busiest) time of the year
Christmas is the busiest time of the year for Fleurtations. And the return of a full season is very welcome following a long 18 months blighted by the impact of the pandemic.
We can’t wait to finish getting the nation ready for Christmas. You can see a few of our amazing eco-friendly displays on our Instagram page. It’s never too early to start thinking of next year! Get in touch to find out what we could create for you!