Floral foam made from cut flowers

Conventional flower inserts are primarily made of phenol-formaldehyde foam. Thai designer Irene Purasachit uses discarded cut flowers to create an eco-friendly floral sponge, diverting paper and textiles.

40% of all cut flowers are not sold

Over time, we have gotten used to being able to buy a huge selection of fruit and vegetables in supermarkets, regardless of the season. Even in the winter months there are always bulging buckets with all kinds of flowers in addition to the perfectly formed red strawberries. Whether it’s roses, tulips or carnations, we can buy them all year round.

Cut flowers fare the same as dead-straight cucumbers and flawless apples. On the way to the trade, 40 percent of the flowers are thrown away from the originally imported goods. An enormous amount that has so far found its way into the composting plants unused.

Irene Purasachit uses the easily identifiable organic waste to produce paper, textiles and an environmentally friendly foam. She now offers this to florists and consumers as a sustainable and, above all, plastic-free alternative, free of chemicals and made from 100% plant fibers.

She succeeded in this development during her master’s degree at Aalto University in Helsinki. Irene Purasachit is currently receiving a grant from DesignFarm Berlin to turn the development into a marketable product.

www.irenepurasachit.com