‘We loved having Hayloft Floral as our florist for our wedding day, Caroline is so kind, caring and her floristry was beautiful and really a highlight of our day! There was great communication and calls to determine our brief and we are particularly thankful for Caroline being receptive to using/arranging some specially home grown flowers. We also love that there was a care for sourcing flowers from local flower farms and we couldn't be happier with the results, thank you Caroline!’
Sustainability policy
Hayloft Floral is all about embracing nature’s seasonal variations – I create joyful and romantic designs for weddings and events using sustainably sourced flowers and foliage, the majority of which are from local growers or my own cutting garden. I also run workshops and training sessions using locally grown flowers and sustainable methods. Helping others to become more sustainable in their own lives and businesses while also constantly learning and developing my own practices is hugely important to me.
I want my flowers to always represent a single moment in time, representing both my clients and the season of their event, balancing people, profit and planet to connect people closer to nature and to play my part in protecting it in return. I will always be open, honest, kind and inclusive in my business, sharing my journey to help and inspire both my couples and other business owners to embrace a more sustainable and ethical way forward.
What are my aims for creating a more sustainable business?
To work in a sustainable way using locally sourced flowers
To reduce my carbon footprint with a view to being net zero by 2030 at the latest.
To support nature and help increase biodiversity
To reduce waste in my business
To share my journey to become more sustainable to help others
To reduce my digital footprint
To collaborate with other sustainable and ethical businesses and individuals
How will I achieve these aims?
Working in a sustainable way:
Carry out a supplier audit to ensure that all businesses I work with have a sustainability policy in place. I will complete this by April 2026 then revisit it annually.
Use as close as possible to 100% British grown flowers and foliage in my designs. I am currently at 80% British grown and aim to be at 95-100% by April 2027.
Using re-useable or compostable mechanics in all my designs
Never using floral foam
Collecting and re-using water by putting in 2 extra water butts by April 2026.
2. Reducing my carbon footprint:
To determine my carbon footprint so I can put a plan in place to reduce this. I will calculate Scope 1 & 2 by March 2026.
To limit my travel to 50 miles and offset any travel emissions from April 2026 onwards
Complete an annual review of my banking and finance companies and software to ensure they are continuing to work in a sustainable way.
3. Supporting nature and increasing biodiversity:
To continue growing my own flowers in a sustainable way, supporting nature in my garden through using pesticide-free growing methods, composting my waste to go back into my flower garden and creating wild corridors and wildflower areas to support wildlife.
For every couple that books with me, I will support the restoration of 1m squared of habitat through the Wildflower, Wetlands and Wildlife project on Ecologi.
I will also offset my travel by planting a tree in the UK for every 50 miles travelled.
4. Reducing waste:
Carry out a waste audit during 2026 with a view to reducing my landfill waste to zero by April 2028.
To reduce waste in my business through composting waste flowers and foliage, use compostable or re-usable mechanics in my designs and reducing packaging where possible.
To become free of single use plastics by 2028– I have mostly achieved this but there are a few areas in which I need to find solutions – elastic bands which come into my business from other growers and floral tape.
I have a hire service for my couples so they can hire candle holders, props and more without needing to purchase to allow them to have beautiful styling without the financial or environmental cost.
5. Sharing my journey:
Talk to couples about 100% British flowers and market this going forward.
Share my journey on my website blog and social media.
Encourage couples to re-use designs throughout their day and offering a service to move flower arrangements for them to make this easier.
6. To reduce my digital footprint:
Set aside a time monthly to declutter my images, emails etc. to reduce the power used for storage.
Audit of my website host and supplier to ensure they are ethical and sustainable by March 2026.
Be mindful in my use of AI and websites that have this integrated.
7. Collaboration and community:
Being an active member of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance and sharing my learnings with others
Teaching workshops using sustainable methods and locally grown flowers
Collaborating with local individuals and organisations, such as Hydons Flower Farm, who are a community interest company who work with a mental health support programme for stressed and anxious teens.
If you have any questions about my sustainable journey, then please do: