Smithers-Oasis, a worldwide leader in the floriculture and floral design industry, has launched a new plant-based floral foam, dubbed, OASIS® Renewal™ Floral Foam. Its renewable biomass materials led to the achievement of OK biobased certification from TÜV Austria with a 4-star rating, the highest available for OK biobased certifications.
With the sustainability push taking precedence within the floriculture community, the launch of OASIS® Renewal™ Floral Foam is a significant milestone. Read on to learn more about Smithers-Oasis's new product.
OASIS® Renewal™ Floral Foam
OASIS® Renewal™ Floral Foam is free of dyes and colorants. Its appearance is a grey/green color when dry, but once saturated it becomes a deep rich black color. Smithers-Oasis has long been a proponent of black floral foam, as it allows florists to achieve the same appearance of design coverage with 25% fewer stems - reducing their cost. That also results in less labor and costs for designing and a lighter weight of finished designs, which are then easier to transport.
Robin Kilbride, the President and CEO of Smithers-Oasis notes that;
“Smithers-Oasis is extremely excited about this product, our global research team has been pursuing this project for many years. Simply being a plant-based product wasn’t enough. We needed this to deliver the look, feel, and performance that florists have come to trust in our petroleum-based OASIS® Floral Foams. At last, we have achieved it!”Smithers-Oasis invented floral foam in 1954, and we have felt a responsibility to reinvent floral foam as new raw materials have become readily available and the marketplace is clamoring for a more sustainable floral foam. Regulations are constantly shifting and, as a global company, we are balancing the expectations of a wide range of markets. Being plant-based was our paramount goal, and achieving OK biobased certification goes along with that. And we were extremely pleased when we received the final carbon footprint analysis. OASIS® Renewal™ Floral Foam has a carbon footprint that is 56% lower than our petroleum-based OASIS® Floral Foams!”
One Foam Fits All
The hassle and the cost implications of buying different floral foam sizes necessitated by the nature of the designs, will no longer be there. The company notes that;
"This product ticks all the boxes on our list and more. One of the attributes florists have had the greatest response to is the density of the foam. We like to say ‘One Foam Fits All’ because this product will work with any type of stem - from the most delicate or hollow to woody or thick, tropical stems. Florists don’t have to buy different flavors or densities of floral foam to have on hand. This one product works for everything and has a fantastic grip that will keep those stems in place.”
OASIS® Renewal™ Floral Foam is initially launching in the United States, Canada, Europe, the UK, Australia, the Republic of Korea, and Japan with a free sample program so floral designers can try the product for themselves. The product will be available for purchase later this year and launches in other markets will be announced throughout 2025.
