Sustainable Solutions with Myrtle Road

Known for its towering forests, lush vineyards, vibrant gardens and natural attractions, the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges have always been the ‘lungs’ of Melbourne.

As such, sustainability is always in season here and across the region, businesses are implementing environmental and socially responsible initiatives at the forefront of their core business, ensuring our region stays clean and green for generations to come.

At the core of Emerald-based Myrtle Road is the idea of reconnecting people with their passions, ideals and the natural world.

The multifaceted business not only offers beautiful locally sourced and sustainable floral arrangements, but also sustainability consulting for other small businesses seeking to make their own contribution to change.

Myrtle Road was set up and will operate with sustainability in mind throughout all of its services whether that be by advocacy, coaching or providing products that have as low a carbon footprint as possible.

"What does this mean? Take floristry for example. When I do a floral arrangement what I will look at are the life cycle and carbon footprint of everything I use. I ask myself many questions. Are the flowers local or imported? Are the flowers seasonally grown? Are there certifications in place for the flower farms where the flowers come from? What transport is involved in the flowers getting to me and then to my consumer? What floral base am I using? Is it recyclable? Is it compostable? Can it go in the home compost or only industrial compost? What packaging is going with this arrangement? How can I minimise this and therefore minimise waste?" she says.

Likewise, she strives to assist other small businesses in their journey to become more sustainable too.

"If I am coaching someone in setting up their new business with sustainability in mind, I would be looking at a lot of the same things in terms of their service, products, packaging, marketing etc etc. Most importantly as businesses, we need to keep educating our consumers towards change but also not be part of greenwashing."

Greenwashing refers to a business misleading the public to believe their business is doing more for the environment than they are and undermines credible efforts to reduce emissions.

The big players in change are governments, industry and the consumer but all of us can make a difference.

"Little changes can make big impacts," she says adding that providing beautiful arrangements that are sustainable and locally sourced also boosts the local economy while doing better for the planet. Likewise, working with businesses to assist them with even just a few ways to get started and make an impact is a great start.