Find a location
Plastic gerbera straws are commonly used in the floral industry as a structural element to support the weight of heavy topped flowers with long stems, specifically, gerberas.
As you may know, the federal government has moved to ban many single-use plastics. This ban is aimed at reducing plastic waste and promoting more sustainable alternatives. The Government of Canada’s Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations prohibit the manufacture, import, and sale of single-use plastic (SUP) checkout bags, cutlery, foodservice ware made from or containing problematic plastics, ring carriers, stir sticks, and straws.
What does this mean for plastic gerbera straws, which have been an essential product for so many floral designers?
After reviewing the regulations and speaking to a government official, our understanding is that plastic gerbera straws can no longer be sold as of December 20, 2023. Effective December 2022, plastic gerbera straws were also prohibited from being imported into Canada. We recently sold out of plastic gerbera flower stem straws and will no longer carry them going forward.
The Regulations define single-use plastic (SUP) straws as:
- a plastic manufactured item, made entirely or in part from plastic, that is formed in the shape of a drinking straw and that:(a) contains polystyrene or polyethylene; or(b) changes its physical properties after being run through an electrically operated household dishwasher 100 times.
The government official we spoke with clarified that while plastic gerbera straws are not used for foodservice, they fit the definition of SUP straws above in every other way.
The prohibitions will come into force in the following staggered timeline:
| Single-use plastic (SUP) Item | Manufacture and import for sale in Canada | Sale | Manufacture, import, and sale for export |
| Checkout bags, cutlery, foodservice ware, stir sticks, straws | December 20, 2022 | December 20, 2023 | December 20, 2025 |
| Ring carriers | June 20, 2023 | June 20, 2024 | December 20, 2025 |
| Flexible straws packaged with beverage containers | N/A | June 20, 2024 | December 20, 2025 |
What Can You Use Instead of Plastic Gerbera Straws?
Now that plastics gerbera straws are no more, what can you design with instead? We recommend Stand Up Gerbera Wire Supports (61-00G275).
These wire supports are available in bags of 150 versus the straws, which were sold in a bag of 250. The wire supports have the advantage of fitting any size of gerbera stem. They sell for approximately four times the price of a gerbera straw but are still affordable at less than $0.30 apiece.
Do You Need to Support Gerbera Stems in Floral Design?
There is also an argument with proper care and handling, a support product for gerberas is not necessary if they have strong stems. At Florists Supply, we only distribute Canadian-grown gerberas for their freshness and stronger stems. We believe today’s Canadian-grown gerberas have thicker and stronger stems than gerberas in the past.
How Do You Properly Care and Handle Gerberas?
Gerbera stems tend to clog easier than other flowers, leading to droopy heads. It is important to clean buckets regularly and use fresh water with accurately dosed flower food. For more information on how to select quality gerberas, and proper care and handling, visit floralife.com.
For more information on the Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations, please reach out to:
Plastics Regulatory Affairs Division
Environment and Climate Change Canada / Government of Canada
plastiquesUU.SUplastics@ec.gc.ca
If you still have questions regarding floral design without plastic gerbera straws, please don’t hesitate to contact us.