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16 Feature December | 2023 TJ McGrath points out, " You can also reuse plastic water tubes and water picks, which I do all the time." " ere's also a new product from Smithers-Oasis called 'Floral Mesh,' which is more pliable than chicken wire," shares Tyke Patriquin, administrative director, of the Cass School of Floral Design in Boston. However, Floral Mesh, which has a 1-inch square wire grid and comes in three decorative metallic fi nishes, cannot be used underwater because it may rust. For transportation purposes, though, many famous fl orists like J. Keith White, AIFD, CFD, and Carrie Wilcox, EMC, still prefer fl oral-foam mechanics. Yes, while it's true that the earlier versions of the green foam bricks were not "biodegradable" (meaning that a material decomposes as a result of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi; the term does not mean, however, that a material is "environmentally friendly"), much progress has been made since the creation of Oasis Floral Foam almost 70 years ago. Smithers- Oasis Company says it was the fi rst to eliminate chlorofl uorocarbons in its fl oral-foam production and also refi ned manufacturing processes to signifi cantly reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and rates of manufacturing scrap. Today, as the company explains, after years of research and development, its "FibreFloral™ Design Media" and "OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media" are now the most impactful inventions in the fl oral design industry. FibreFloral™ Design Media is derived from natural volcanic basalt rock with a bio-based binder derived from rapidly renewable materials, and OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media is made with plant-based, renewable, natural coir and a compostable binder. ese products serve the purpose of fl oral foam but without the guilt and solve the problem for fl oral designers who want—or are required—to use a compostable fl oral media that will support complex designs and the life of cut fl owers over an extended period of time. Furthermore, OASIS® TerraBrick™ Floral Media has been certifi ed "OK compost HOME" and "OK compost INDUSTRIAL" by TÜV Austria, a globally recognized third- party certifying body. As Laura Walsh, CFD, AAF, PFCI, director of marketing at Smithers-Oasis North America, explains, sustainability is a focus of many divisions of the company. For example, FloraLife North America, one of the divisions of Smithers-Oasis Company, now has a silicone-free leaf shine product, "FloraLife® LeafShine Silicone Free," and now off ers its "FloraLife Crystal Clear® Flower Food" and "FloraLife® Express Universal 300 Flower Food" in recyclable paper packets, for consumer use. "It is important to use the right mechanics and be a good steward for whatever resources we use," Walsh continues. "We've worked hard to create sustainability for any designer's challenge." 4. Check Your Trash Can for Insights Mark Allen, global product and sustainability manager at FloraLife, recommends people really "study" their trash to see what is wasted in their day-to-day business. For example, many fl orists, he says, have as much as Floral design by Paulina Nieliwocki, Blue Jasmine Floral

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