The movement to buy sustainably grown flowers is rising as many growers and florists in Australia voice their concerns about the effect chemicals have on the environment and workers' health.

About $70 million worth of flowers are imported every year from countries as far away as Kenya, South Africa and Ecuador.

Australian-based floral designer Aga Jones said one of the many problems with imported flowers was that stems of cut flowers needed to be dipped in glyphosate to enter Australia.

The biosecurity measure was implemented by the Australian Government's Department of Agriculture and Water Resources to prevent propagation and the import of live plants and pests.

"Florists in flower shops are handling flowers daily, and they come in skin on skin contact with these chemicals," Ms Jones said.

"Prolonged chemical use on the skin, which is a living organ and absorbs everything definitely shows that it affects your health, just recently there was a case were a couple in the [United] States, where suing Monsanto for the weedkiller Roundup."

Aga Jones says sustainably grown flowers are better for the environment and human health. ( ABC Rural: Jessica Schremmer )

"So not only is it terrible for the environment and florists' health … it's shocking and little known as well."

Ms Jones sources the flowers she uses from local flower growers in Central Victoria and is dedicated to use flowers that are safe to handle and safe to sniff.

Limited research on florist exposure to chemicals

Dr Ian Musgrave, molecular pharmacologist and toxicologist at the University of Adelaide, said glyphosate was badly absorbed by humans, and people handling the dipping solution needed to wear gloves to prevent rashes and other skin irritations.

However, he believed by the time imported flowers entered Australia, the chemical levels on the surface of the plants were reduced and unlikely to be transferred in large quantities.

"When you are working in a florist shop, you are working with a variety of materials, which could have potential long-term impacts and so any florist should be wearing gloves in the first place because of all the other chemicals you do use as a florist," Dr Musgrave said.

But Dr Musgrave said it was a possibility that people with huge exposure to high pesticide and insecticide usage on flowers could absorb the chemicals.

A study conducted among florists in Belgium, found florists who handled a large number of flowers were at risk of exposure to pesticide residues with potential effects on their health.

Floral designer Aga Jones says she sources locally grown flowers that are safe to handle. ( ABC Rural: Jessica Schremmer )

Reducing flower miles to protect the environment

Besides potential health risks for florists, artisanal flower farmer Danielle White urged consumers to think about the impact chemical use and long-haul flower transports had on the environment.

Danielle White says part of the slow flower movement is low intervention and no chemical use. ( Supplied: Danielle White )

Many people are aware of food miles, but Ms White wants to reduce flower miles.

She is an advocate of the 'slow flower movement' and wants to create more consumer awareness to buy local, seasonal and bee-friendly flowers.

To connect like-minded farmers across Australia, she found the group Consortium Botanicus, and aimed to promote small-scale, ethical and sustainable farming practices.

"We grow from the soil up. We care about the environment and sustainability," Ms White said.

"Slow … means grown in a considered manner, it means not rushed through with chemicals and artificial interventions.

"So, it's slow in the sense of healthy, low intervention, no chemicals, healthy for the consumer and great for the environment."

Ms White said it was important to grow flowers and foliage in a manner that would not kill beneficial insects.

"We grow bee-friendly flowers, bees being very important pollinators of everything to keep the world alive," she said.

"It's about working with mother nature."

Danielle White says growing sustainable flowers means working with mother nature. ( Supplied: Danielle White )

Ms White believed another challenge consumers in Australia faced was knowing where the flowers they bought came from.

"Unless there is some tiny print on the bottom of a plastic wrap that you bother to look up on the internet and do your own research, you don't really know, and I think the consumers tends to default to trust that surely this beautiful flower can't be of any harm," Ms White said.

"Deeper than that it's about how the staff are treated and how the plants are grown."

"We really love to see some sort of indication for the consumer about what they are buying, whether it is an ethical company."

Eco-friendly materials needed in floristry

Many florists have taken to social media joining the @nofloralfoam movement on Instagram to raise awareness of the unsustainable material used to anchor flower arrangements ending up feeding landfills.

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Ms Jones said it was a nasty material used widespread in the industry.

"People are starting to realise despite the lack of research that it is a really nasty chemical … it never goes away, it doesn't biodegrade," she said.

"When it is mixed with water it breaks down into a microplastic which ends up in our waterways and then it is consumed by marine life."

Dr Musgrave said there was not much research on floral foam but the micro plastics of the foam ending up in waterways were a concern.

"If it gets in waterways it possibly is a risk to marine life," he said.

Aga Jones believed there are many alternative materials florists can use for flower arrangements. ( ABC Rural: Jessica Schremmer )

He advised wearing gloves when handling the material and to take appropriate dust mitigation measures.

"When you cut it up it can create micro particles, and with all micro particles you should avoid breathing in and it may irritate the skin."

Ms Jones believed there were many alternative products florists could use such as twigs, sticks, vines and chicken wire.

