Your event blooms become living soil.

I've been in this business a long time, and I've watched a lot of beautiful things go into a dumpster. Flowers and greenery that were the centerpiece of a room for four hours, then landfill. It doesn't have to end that way.

What we do at Florida Fresh

Every stem, leaf and branch that comes back from an event goes into 48-gallon bins at our shop. A local Orlando hauler, O-Town Compost, picks them up twice a week. By our count that's about 30,000 pounds a year that doesn't go to a landfill.

And it doesn't disappear. It becomes compost for farms, landscapers and community gardens around Central Florida. That's the story I tell clients: your event blooms become living soil. People love it. It's a better ending for a centerpiece than a dumpster.

How any supplier can start

1. Find a hauler

Orlando has commercial compost haulers that pick up from businesses. Ask what they accept, how often they collect, and what it costs. Our composting partner is O-Town Compost. If you'd like an introduction, ask us. We'll make it.

2. Keep it clean

Compost only works if what goes in the bin can break down. Strip out wire, ribbon, tape, plastic sleeves, picks and floral foam before the organics go in. Put a sign on every bin. The cleaner the stream, the more a hauler can take.

3. Weigh it

Weigh the bins, or ask your hauler for the weights. A number you measured is the difference between "we compost" and "we diverted 2,000 pounds from the landfill this quarter." Only the second one is a claim you can put in a proposal.

4. Tell the story, honestly

Once you're measuring, tell clients. Say what you composted, how much, and where it went. If some things still go to landfill, say that too. An honest number beats a big adjective every time.

Caterers, this works for food too

O-Town Compost also takes food scraps, including meat and dairy. Read the catering guide.

At the venue

Many Orlando venues have their own waste and composting programs. Ask the venue's operations team what their hauler accepts before strike, so your organics end up in the right stream on site too.