KENT, Ohio USA – 3 February 2026 – We recently learned of the Motion “Sustainable Church Flowers: Glorifying God Sustainably,” which will be up for a vote in the Church of England’s General Synod in February 2026. Since the Church of England has not reached out to us to discuss our products and sustainability plan, and the only brand called out in the Motion was ours – OASIS® Floral Foam – we feel obligated to publish a response to this Motion, as it includes misinformation and omissions.
The Motion was correct in stating that Smithers-Oasis invented floral foam in 1954 under the brand OASIS®. What wasn’t included were the innovations in floral foam and design media over the years and most specifically over the past 12 years.
In 2014, OASIS® degradable floral foam was launched, which is sold as OASIS® Bio Floral Foam in the UK. The benefit of OASIS® Bio Floral Foam is that it will degrade in anaerobic landfill conditions – which is the primary source of disposal for many countries, including the UK – yet it also can be incinerated in markets that use that disposal method. The foam ultimately breaks down into carbon dioxide, methane, and water when buried (anaerobic), as in a landfill.
In 2021, in response to the request for a compostable product, we introduced OASIS® TerraBrick® Floral Media, which was certified industrial and home compostable. Made of coir and a binder, this product checked off all the sustainability boxes; but a majority of florists wanted sustainable attributes in floral foam, because it saves time, is a crucial design tool, and gives them confidence in the longevity of their designs.
In 2025, we introduced OASIS® Renewal™ Floral Foam, a plant-based foam (which was not mentioned in the Motion, that calls all floral foam “petroleum-based”). OASIS® Renewal™ has the highest biobased rating from TÜV Austria, a third-party certifying agency. OASIS® Renewal™ has a 56% lower carbon footprint than our petroleum-based foams and does not contain any dyes or colorants. If the UK relied on incineration for trash disposal, OASIS® Renewal™ Floral Foam would be carbon neutral with energy recovery. We do not make an end-of-life claim on this product (such as recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable), as it is currently undergoing tests with third-party laboratories, a process that takes years. Smithers-Oasis UK Ltd played a key role in the development of this plant-based foam and is one of only three locations in our global organization that is manufacturing this breakthrough product.
The Motion included claims about the danger of dust when cutting OASIS® Floral Foam and that our foam is toxic – both of which are false. We provide Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) for each of our floral foams, which are required to conform to UK REACH Regulations. An SDS requires manufacturers to provide information on handling and storage, personal protection, and ecological information. These documents are publicly available, and copies for each OASIS® Floral Foam and Floral Media are available at www.oasisfloral.co.uk/yes-floral-foam.
Further, none of our OASIS® Floral Foams contain microplastic beads, as stated in The Motion. The reference to concern for aquatic life is based on a flawed Australian study. Our response is available on our company website and in a link on the website shown above. Claims about plastic ingredients (such as ten carrier bags) and the lifespan of floral foam (claimed to be between 400-500 years) are speculative at best, not based on established testing methods.
Is composting the ideal? We hear advocates say it is, and we certainly keep our eye on that goal; however, many people do not have access to industrial composting, nor the conditions required to compost themselves. That doesn’t mean we don’t strive for compostability – more than 70% of our Research work is focused on sustainability. We consistently launch improvements to our products and introduce new sustainable products. OASIS® Renewal™ Floral Foam is a perfect example of that.
The Motion recommends alternatives for flower arranging, and we agree diversity of materials provides options when approaching creative design. At first glance these alternatives may appear to be recyclable and natural, however they can come with their own sustainable costs. Chicken wire can be reused a few times, until it begins to break, and typically cannot be recycled. Sand can be a limited resource with high energy costs to extract. Moss can be overharvested. Marbles, “frogs,” and glass are often produced outside the UK, with a high carbon footprint.
A large portion of the Motion focused on the use of locally grown flowers. Approximately 15% of flowers used in the UK are locally grown. The remainder are imported from growers as close as The Netherlands and as far away as Kenya and Colombia. The first reaction is to assume locally grown flowers are more sustainable. The reality is far more complex. A key reason flowers are grown along the equator is the climate, which provides steady sunlight throughout the year. To grow enough flowers to meet the year-round needs of the UK – the remaining 85% of flowers currently used – greenhouses would need to be built, which would come with high carbon footprints.
However, the choice isn’t as simple as grow local or fly in. The floral industry is focused on shipment methods with far lower carbon footprints, such as shipping by sea. We have invented products to extend the life of flowers while transporting by sea, resulting in significant reduction in carbon footprint. Achieving this requires collaboration among growers, logistics specialists, and suppliers.
There are more than 12,000 florists in the UK who have expertise and design skills that minimize waste. The floral industry contributes £1.6 billion to the UK’s economy. Requiring florists to use only locally grown flowers and avoid using floral foam is impractical and will impact their livelihood – resulting in more expensive florals, more time to complete designs, and higher labor costs. It will also impact the Church of England’s worshipers who, in times of celebration and grief, will be forced to either pay higher costs or forgo flowers.
This is a complex response. We would have embraced the opportunity to educate The Bishop of Dudley, the Right Reverend Martin Gorick and the Sustainable Church Flowers group. Instead, a misleading and occasionally incorrect Motion is being put in front of the General Synod. We hope The Motion will not pass without further exploration.