Landfill Diversion at District 2 Floral Studio

Coming out of Earth Month (April) I thought it appropriate to share ways I approach reducing waste & some of my studio practices for landfill diversion! 

The following are how I label bins to help me stay organized & have become part of my everyday routine:

♻️COMPOST: All excess foliage & stem clippings are composted with Hillside Solutions. I have a subscription to their Compost Club which gives access to bin sites around the city to drop compost I've collected.

♻️REUSEABLE: I repurpose as much as possible! Rubber bands from flower bunches are saved to return to farm partners. Twisty ties from flower bunches I reuse to hang drying flowers or for wearable exploration. Wholesale flower boxes I return to the flower wholesaler or use to transport large orders. Plastic flower sleeves can be reused (or “orange bagged” see below). Produce clamshells are repurposed to hold small wearables. All vases I use are thrifted or from donations. For larger events I partner with Second Chance Bouquets in which they swoop flowers post-event, recreate arrangements & donate them the following day to area care communities.

♻️RECYCLE: Cardboard & paper are recycled through the city's contract with First Star Recycling. Glass jars are donated to  Exist Green's refill program, or taken to the Glass Recycling drop-site  southwest of Jimmy Johns (73rd & Farnam).

♻️ENERGY/RENEW (orange) BAGS: Most plastic that can't be recycled can be "orange bagged", such as flower sleeves or plastic picks. Orange Bags can be sourced from First Star or HyVee & have detailed descriptions of what can be placed in them. As an Omaha resident, when your “orange bag” is full, place it in your recycle bin, where it will be taken to First Star Recycling & be made into plastic lumber for construction work (ie. you can build a deck with it)!

♻️LANDFILL: Whatever I can't place in previously mentioned bins, most likely goes to the landfill, which after all is said & done is the least amount!

Part of reducing waste is coming to an understanding how much one consumes & then shift daily routines to lessen it. It does not happen all at once, & it takes effort – it has been an ongoing learning journey for me! One effort that I am exploring now is working with Exist Green’s bulk refill system on creating a cleaning solution recipe that I can use to wash vases and buckets. I can bring my own reusable spray bottle each time & refill from their available cleaning ingredients. I will keep you posted!

I realize landfill diversion options available to residents will vary by location. What are best practices you’ve implemented or are exploring? I’d love to hear in comments!

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District 2 Floral Studio's landfill diversion bins: compost, landfill, recycling, reusable plastic, and Renew Orange bags.