20 Jan 2023
- The wrap free bouquets have been carefully protected in a layer of Fatsia palm leaves instead of using cellophane
- The Wrap Free Premium Valentines Rose Bouquet (£65) and Wrap Free Rose & Lily Bouquet (£40) are available to pre-order through Waitrose Florist now
- All roses within these bouquets are sourced from Waitrose Foundation farms. Every time customers buy a Foundation bouquet, we reinvest - back into the workers who grow, pick and pack our flowers through community-led projects*
For Valentine’s Day, we have launched two wrap-free bouquets available to order through Waitrose Florist as part of our commitment to reduce our impact on the environment by reducing waste and eliminating single-use plastic.
Both the Wrap Free Premium Valentines Rose Bouquet (£65) and the Wrap Free Rose & Lily Bouquet (£40) have been stripped of all single-use plastics and instead have been wrapped in a protective layer of Fatsia leaves** which gives customers the option to celebrate sustainably.
The rubber band that would normally hold the stems together has also been removed and replaced with a reusable, natural twine and the flower food also comes in a paper-based sachet which is widely recyclable.
Chris Wood, head florist at Waitrose, said: “As part of our efforts to remove unnecessary packaging where we can, we are delighted to offer our customers an environmentally friendly option this Valentine’s with two wrap-free bouquets. These bouquets are protected by Fatsia leaves instead of cellophane, so customers can still expect to see a truly stunning arrangement of flowers, just minus the plastic!
“We’re so proud of these eco-friendly bouquets, not only are they kinder to the planet, they showcase our extra special Foundation Explorer red roses which give back to Kenyan flower farmers, so you really can share the love this Valentine’s Day.”
Also available this Valentine’s is our Red Rose Gift Bag (£25) an extra special bouquet that comes with a handcrafted beaded Red Heart Keepsake which is made by the UPEED and SATUBO Women's Community Groups in Kenya - empowering women to run their own businesses and facilitate greater financial independence for their families. This is nestled amongst a classic mix of pink, cerise and red Foundation roses presented in a stylish gift bag.
The Wrap Free Premium Valentines Rose Bouquet is a traditional arrangement of 12 large premium Foundation red roses, surrounded by folded aspidistra leaves, soft asparagus and steel grass and the Wrap Free Rose & Lily Bouquet is a tonal mix of red and pink premium Foundation roses mixed with scented large pink oriental lilies. Both bouquets will make a truly beautiful gift for a loved one this Valentine’s Day.
The packaging on our flowers, both in our shops and Waitrose Florist, is already recyclable and as a business, we are committed to making all our own-brand packaging either widely-recycled, reusable or home compostable by 2023**.
Chris Wood’s flower care tips:
1. Clean your vase thoroughly and then fill the vase two-thirds with fresh, lukewarm water and add your flower food. Top up the water the day after receiving your flowers, rather than changing it completely – this way, they benefit from the food for longer
2. Remove any foliage that will sit below the waterline to avoid build-up of debris. If your flowers include roses, you may notice some discoloured outer petals. These are guard petals, which protect the inner petals. Gently remove 2-3 guard petals to reveal these
3. Trim about 2-3cm from the bottom of the stems at a 45-degree angle. Try to vary the stem length to give your arrangement a height range
4. Change the water regularly after the second day. Just like us, flowers love clean water!
5. Keep your flowers out of direct sunlight to prolong their life
6. Remove any wilted flowers. Besides not looking as attractive, they can spread mould onto the others
All Valentine’s Day bouquets are available to pre-order via Waitrose Florist now.
Notes to Editors
*As a supermarket, we rely on farms and their communities across the world to grow, pick and pack our fresh food and flowers throughout the year, and through the Waitrose Foundation, we work with suppliers and local partners to fund community-led projects that help improve the lives of the workers. A percentage of the sale is then invested back into the community it came from.
In Kenya we are supporting flower farm workers through projects including microloans, health and sanitation and school infrastructure for families. Read more about the Foundation’s impact in flower farms here.
**The leaves from a Fatsia Japonica plant are glossy and robust evergreens making them perfect for a protective layer
***In terms of our 2023 target, 88.3% of our own brand packaging is widely recycled, reusable or compostable, and with regard to plastic specifically, 73.8% of our own brand plastic packaging is widely recycled, reusable or compostable.
