Flower friends, we have cause to rejoice! There is finally a (good) sustainable foam option available! OASIS just released their reinvented foam called Renewal. And we’re here to give you our thorough review!
Trust us when we say we were skeptical. Highly skeptical. When does a global brand ever make a genuine shift towards sustainability that doesn’t have some shady agenda (hello, green washing!)? Given OASIS already took a terrible stab at “sustainable” with their Bio Floral Foam a few years back (which turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing), we were not going to just latch on to Renewal hook, line and sinker.
So we did a deep, deep dive into the documentation behind this new Renewal’s sustainability claims. Per OASIS website, Renewal foam is plant-based, made with renewable resources, and has no dyes or colorants. It does not contain petroleum, fossil fuels, or microplastics. They boast of a 56% reduction in the foam’s carbon footprint from cradle to grave compared to the original OASIS formula. Renewal foam is certified “OK biobased” by TÜV Austria, receiving the highest rating of 4 stars since the plant materials in it are renewable/sustainable (not from say deforestation or similar).
Sounds good so far, right? The other BIG question: Is it compostable? OASIS states on their website that they are not currently making any claims about the compostable nature of this new brick. They are working with several laboratories to run a broad range of “end of life” tests prior to seeking compostable certification by an independent certifier. The certification process can take upwards of three years so this important question may be left unanswered for a while. That being said, given their other reassurances that this is truly a plant-based product, it seems likely that Renewal foam is compostable. We are conducting our own informal trial here at PFG to see how long it takes a brick to break down and what it looks like as it decomposes.
So sustainability seems to be checking out on this one! Now, let’s talk about performance. We have all been a little (or a lot) disappointed in the other foam alternatives on the market up until now. As such, we are thrilled to report that Renewal checks all the boxes as a mechanic!
Inserting stems is incredibly easy, even soft stems. Stems are held securely. The foam holds together even as the brick gets filled with stems. And our test stems still looked fresh and hydrated after 48 hours of hanging up at room temperature. Even the dinnerplate dahlia! (Though to be fair, our dahlias are badass anyway…)
This entire deconstructed arch was made with Renewal foam (and PFG blooms) and it proved very easy to work with.
So what’s the downside? Renewal foam costs about 2.5x more than regular foam. But we’re totally okay with that if indeed it does get certified compostable. Having a sustainable mechanic we can trust for installations is going to be a game changer and totally worth the additional cost. We’re particularly excited about the potential for this foam to finally make sympathy work easy for sustainable florists. .
If you’d like to trial OASIS Renewal foam yourself, we’re selling it by the brick through our online shop and we can also get a case in for you with enough notice. We would love your feedback on as you try it out in your designs.
Read more product reviews here on our blog.