Perceptions of Environmental Health and Willingness to Compost Fresh Cut Floral Waste by Retail Flower Shop Owners

Abstract

In the United States there has been a push to convert industries to a more environmentally sustainable business attitude in recent years. Environmentally sustainable practices are not only good for the environment, but there is increasing evidence these practices lead to an increase in customer loyalty. The trend of self-regulation, willingly imposing more stringent environmental policies than required by the government, is progressing toward a time where environmentally friendly practices will be a competitive necessity for businesses to survive. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the perceptions of environmental health of retail flower shop owners and their willingness to recycle fresh cut floral waste produced at retail flower shops for use as compost and to determine if there is a statistical correlation between environmental awareness and willingness to compost fresh cut flower waste. A mailing list of retail florists from across the United States was compiled. A total of 1974 florists from all 50 states were sent a standardized e-mail explaining the purpose of the study. Embedded in the e-mail was a hyperlink that redirected willing respondents to the survey. Each person on the mailing list was emailed one time. Of the 300 retail florists who took part in the survey, a majority, 190 (63.33%), were ranked as having “high concern” for environmental health. A majority of florists 247 (82.33%) “agreed” or “strongly agreed” to collaborate with Master Gardener programs and other organizations if it meant they could recycle their floral waste through composting. Through the creation of industry- and state-sponsored certifications, florists could brand and promote their business as more environmentally conscious by composting their floral waste. This could possibly, in turn, stimulate sales and increase profit margins while having the added benefit of reducing the amount of waste entering landfills.

Retail Florists Use Novel Sales Approaches during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…A contact list of 1974 retail florists was used. The contact list was initially assembled in 2019 for a study investigating florist willingness to compost floral waste (Etheredge and Waliczek, 2020). The list was assembled by conducting a web-based search for retail florists in each of the 50 states.…”

Demographic Differences in United States Consumers’ Perceptions and Willingness to Pay for Sustainable Environmental Practices in the Floral Industry

“…A recent study that investigated United States consumers' perceptions of sustainable environmental attributes incorporated into business models of floral providers found that a majority of those surveyed were willing to pay up to 10% more for floral designs made from a more sustainable floral provider (Etheredge et al 2023). The same study also found that of the environmentally sustainable attributes that respondents were asked about, the use of locally sourced flowers was found to be the most influential change that a floral provider could make to increasing a consumer's willingness to purchase.…”

“…Respondents also indicate a strong willingness to pay a premium to retail floral providers that dispose of floral waste through composting (Etheredge et al 2023). Research has indicated that the premium a consumer is willing to pay varies depending on the specific environmental attribute (Khachatryan et al 2014).…”

“…A recent study that investigated retail flower shop owners' perceptions of environmentalism and their willingness to compost fresh cut floral waste produced at their retail floral establishments found that most of these owners who participated in the study had a high level of environmental concern and were willing to collaborate with local community programs, such as community gardens and Master Gardeners, if it meant the waste produced at their shops could be composted (Etheredge and Waliczek 2020).…”