This Earth Day, Arena Flowers has strengthened its position in responsible floristry, achieving a significant increase in its Positive Luxury Butterfly Mark score from 66 to 80 following its latest recertification.
The Butterfly Mark is a globally recognised third-party accreditation for luxury brands that independently assesses environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. Arena Flowers' improved score reflects measurable progress across its operations, from responsible sourcing and packaging to community impact and supply chain transparency.
This milestone forms part of Arena's wider "Our People, Our Planet" Responsible Business Strategy, which aligns the business with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and sets clear, measurable targets across environment, community, suppliers and team.
Recent initiatives contributing to Arena's improved score include the installation of intelligent LED lighting with daylight and presence detection in their fulfilment centre, helping to improve energy efficiency by 30%. The company has also improved benefits for employees, including launching a nursery and EV salary sacrifice scheme, and introduced five bee hives at their local Droitwich site to boost local pollination. Further initiatives include partnering with local foodbanks to donate waste bouquets, and transforming over 3,600 waste roses into bath salts through a partnership with UpCircle Beauty.
John Hackett, CEO of Arena Flowers, comments: ''This Earth Day, we're proud to share that Arena Flowers has been recertified by Positive Luxury, achieving a score of 80%. Since first receiving the Butterfly Mark in 2019, we've continued to build on our commitment to doing better for people and the planet - from measuring our carbon emissions and working towards Science Based Targets, to improving sustainable sourcing. Our social impact remains at the heart of what we do, through partnerships supporting Alzheimer's and cancer research, as well as ongoing involvement with food banks and community initiatives. And in governance, we continue to support fairtrade growers and work towards a more responsible supply chain. To mark Earth Day and our ongoing membership of the Positive Luxury community, we're celebrating with one of our signature bouquets - created using flowers from the Plants for Pollinators list - with blue hydrangeas and delphiniums reflecting the wings of the Large Blue Butterfly, the species behind the Butterfly Mark and its UK reintroduction story. We're proud to celebrate this milestone with Positive Luxury this Earth Day, and even more proud to keep growing our impact.''
© Arena Flowers
A new chapter in global impact
As part of its ongoing commitment to creating meaningful environmental and social impact, Arena Flowers has recently launched a new partnership with verified restoration platform veritree. The collaboration supports mangrove restoration projects in Kenya and Tanzania, helping to rebuild vital ecosystems that capture carbon, protect coastlines, and support biodiversity, while also strengthening the resilience of local communities connected to Arena's global supply chain. So far, 648 workdays have been created through Arena's planting commitments, with 58% of all staff at these projects being women.
By working with veritree, Arena Flowers is able to track and verify its impact with greater transparency, using detailed reporting tools including planting data, field insights and ecological monitoring — reinforcing its commitment to measurable, science-led action.
John Hackett, CEO of Arena Flowers, says: "Our partnership with veritree represents the next step in this journey. By investing in ecosystem restoration projects that are directly connected to our supply chain, we're able to create an impact that is not only environmental, but also supports the communities behind our products."
David Luba, Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships at veritree, adds: "We're proud to support Arena Flowers' mission to leverage their business for good, with projects that support people, planet, and a greater purpose. By embedding positive impact and ecosystem restoration into their operations, Arena Flowers are leading by example to show how business and nature can bloom brighter, together."
Building on a legacy of responsible innovation
Founded in 2006, Arena Flowers has long been recognised for its leadership in ethical practices within the floristry industry. Over nearly two decades, the business has consistently pushed boundaries to progress sustainability across its operations. Key milestones in its sustainability journey include removing all fossil-based single-use plastics from packaging as early as 2017, and becoming one of only a handful of UK florists registered with Fairtrade, while paying the Fairtrade Premium on all certified stems regardless of how bouquets are marketed. The company has also planted over one million trees to date through its reforestation partnerships, including 324,150 trees pledged with veritree, and has transitioned to packaging that is 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable across all deliveries.
Across its operations, Arena Flowers has rethought packaging at every stage, from FSC-certified materials and vegetable-based inks to plant-based wraps, compostable elements and reusable finishing details. Central to this approach is a focus on measurable progress over promises, with the business working towards science-based emissions targets, building its understanding of its water and nature footprint, and driving continuous improvement over time.
Pioneering closed-loop floristry
Arena Flowers is also the world's first online flower company to implement a closed-loop waste system, pioneering the use of its innovative FlowerPaper packaging. Developed in partnership with Groot Packaging and a specialist paper mill in the Netherlands, FlowerPaper is created using green waste from flower stems — transforming what would otherwise be discarded into a fully functional packaging material.
Since its launch in 2020, the initiative has saved 19 tonnes of flower waste and achieved FSC Chain of Custody certification, ensuring high environmental and social standards. The packaging incorporates 60% post-consumer recycled paper, reducing reliance on virgin materials, while carbon impact has been reduced through localised sourcing and production, with materials processed close to growers. This circular approach reflects Arena's broader ambition to rethink traditional industry practices and minimise environmental impact at every stage.
A strategy built on accountability
Arena Flowers' Responsible Business Strategy is designed as a long-term framework for change, with clear mid-term and long-term targets spanning climate, waste, water, biodiversity and social impact. The strategy is data-led and science-based, with measurable KPIs, and was collaboratively developed incorporating input from employees, suppliers, community stakeholders and, uniquely, local schoolchildren — bringing the perspective of future generations into the strategy. It is also continuously evolving, reflecting new insights, technologies and opportunities to improve. By embedding accountability across its operations, Arena Flowers is not only tracking its progress but actively raising the standard for what responsible floristry can look like.
Nick Schulman, CCO at Arena Flowers, comments: "Improving our Butterfly Mark score is an important milestone for us, but more importantly it reflects the tangible progress we've made across our business, from how we source our flowers to how we reduce waste and support our communities. For us, responsibility isn't about standing still. It's about constantly challenging ourselves to do better, measuring our impact, and continuing to evolve as a business."
For more information:
Arena Flowers
www.arenaflowers.com
