Church of England urged to 'glorify God sustainably'

The Church of England's General Synod will vote next month on a motion to discourage floral foam and promote local, seasonal and biodegradable floral arrangements across parishes, chaplaincies and cathedrals.

The General Synod is due to vote next month on a motion urging parishes, chaplaincies and cathedrals to adopt more sustainable floral practices and to move away from traditional arrangements that rely on imported blooms and non-compostable materials. The proposal highlights concerns about the Church's carbon footprint and the environmental costs of current floristry methods. A paper from the Bishop of Dudley, the Right Reverend Martin Gorick, sets out the environmental issues tied to imported flowers, single-use plastics, chemical preservatives and floral foam. It also outlines suggested alternatives such as twigs, dried flowers, moss, pebbles and other reusable or biodegradable supports. Key points: - The General Synod will vote next month on a motion addressing floral practices in Church of England sites. - The motion calls for eliminating the use of floral foam in displays. - Parishes are being urged to use local, seasonal and fully biodegradable or compostable flowers and foliage instead of imported blooms. - Priests are encouraged to repurpose Sunday arrangements for midweek services or to give them to care homes and hospitals. - The motion calls on parishes to 'grow your own' and to use branches, berries and dried flowers as alternatives to fresh blooms. - Bishop Martin Gorick's paper reports that a block of floral foam contains the same amount of plastic as ten carrier bags and describes traditional floristry as carrying environmental costs. Summary: The proposal could change how churches source and arrange flowers, reducing reliance on imported blooms and single-use floral products. The General Synod vote is scheduled for next month; the outcome is undetermined at this time.