Ekkk! Floral Foam!

A friend recently sent me an image of a local Australian workshop that was using floral foam. This in itself was alarming, but the real kicker was the workshop was for children. The images depicted young workshop attendees creating a vase arrangement by merrily cutting up floral foam blocks and squashing them into a vase before arranging – wait for it – mostly dried flowers and botanicals. And the materials were dyed (artificial dying of flowers and foliage is a whole other issue). My reaction could not have been any more emotional had the infant attendees been given cigarettes to arrange in a vase of asbestos.

So what is floral foam and why don’t you want your kids anywhere near this stuff?

In short, floral foam is a plastic product made from two nasty chemicals - Phenol and Formaldehyde. It’s a product used in the floristry industry that retains water and hence brings longevity to cut flowers. It also holds materials in place, hence is used for dramatic floral arrangements – like flower globes. It is made by mixing two toxic chemicals, and then whipped to form a foam. A detergent like product is added that assists with water retention

So why are these toxic chemical components so bad? Let’s look at each in turn.

Phenol is produced from petroleum and can cause chemical burns. According to Wikipedia

“Phenol and its vapours are corrosive to the eyes, the skin, and the respiratory tract…repeated or prolonged skin contact with phenol may cause dermatitis, or even second and third-degree burns. Inhalation of phenol vapor may cause lung edema. The substance may cause harmful effects on the central nervous system and heart, resulting in dysrhythmia, seizures, and coma. The kidneys may be affected as well. Long-term or repeated exposure of the substance may have harmful effects on the liver and kidneys.

Since phenol is absorbed through the skin relatively quickly, systemic poisoning can occur in addition to the local caustic burns. Resorptive poisoning by a large quantity of phenol can occur even with only a small area of skin, rapidly leading to paralysis of the central nervous system and a severe drop in body temperature… the fatal dose for ingestion of phenol is from 1 to 32 g”

Toxic chemical number two in floral foam is Formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and Wikipedia reports “ingestion of as little as 30 milliliters (1 oz.) of a 37% solution of formaldehyde has been reported to cause death in an adult”. Formaldehyde’s impact when used in foam insulation is well reported, and major concerns surround health reactions to inhalation. A 2009 review of studies into formaldehyde has shown a strong association between exposure to formaldehyde and the development of childhood asthma. Less dramatic effects include nasal and eye irritation, headaches, burning sensation in the throat and breathing difficulties. These health issues do not arise from anything so direct as eating, handling or inhaling dust from products that contain formaldehyde – rather they occur as a result of products containing formaldehyde releasing toxic gases that contribute to ‘indoor air pollution’. In other words, even without coming into direct contact with formaldehyde, it is enough to breath the air in which products containing formaldehyde are located ie your home.

Oasis, the original manufacturer of floral foam in the 1950s, includes this helpful information on its website : formaldehyde and phenol [are] not intended component[s] of the final product. Any remaining formaldehyde or phenol is residual.

Feeling comforted?? Leaving aside the fact that there is likely to be ‘unintentional residual presence’ of both formaldehyde and phenol in floral foam, by focusing only on the final product Oasis neatly avoids the impact that these chemicals have during the manufacturing of floral foam. What impact are the chemicals having during the manufacturing process? There is indisputable evidence that those employed in industries that involve high exposure to formaldehyde - including industries such as building construction and those who manufacture products containing formaldehyde - show higher levels of leukemia, inonasal cancers, brain cancer and nasopharyngeal cancer when compared with the general population.

Aside from the toxicity of the individual ingredients, it is important to note that Floral Foam is also a plastic. After use, it does not readily break down (even so-called ‘eco foams’ contain plastic) and hence contributes another big toxic additional to landfill.

Perhaps even more immediately alarming are the microplastics that are released by floral foam into water. Many florists are now aware that any floral foam scraps should not be flushed or put down the sink into the sewage system, as there is ample proof that microplastics from floral foam are ingested by marine life (and hence, as a consequence, humans). However, as floral foam is soaked before use, and any excess water is almost always tipped down the sink, not flushing whole floral foam is addresses a very small part of the problem. Water containing floral foam is also often deposited into the sinks of flower buyers – when was the last time you received flowers will floral foam and didn’t tip the spent vase water down the pipes?

Floral foam is used by floral designers and florists as a means to achieve dramatic and ‘long lasting’ floral displays. But there are many other options for florists – using reusable glass vials in large arbour displays, using chicken wire to create structure in a vase for a gravity-defying arrangement, and using good old fashion glass and wire frogs to get your vase posy to look just right – that continuing to use floral foam in any floral practise feels lazy at best, criminal at worst.

So next time you order flowers, look for a florist who is an advocate of ‘no floral foam’, And, don’t ever allow your children to breath in dust from floral foam or handle this stuff in a kids workshop.

No floral foam. Ever.