Grower to help raise consumer awareness of the role of indoor houseplants as natural air purifiers
The week-long celebration is designed to raise consumer awareness of the value and benefits of live indoor houseplants.
Since launching its national public service campaign, ‘O2 for You: Houseplants with a Purpose’ in 2008, Costa Farms continues to spread awareness on how live houseplants can cleanse indoor air from chemical pollutants (volatile organic compounds) emitted from products and materials found in our homes and offices.
“National Indoor Plant Week is a natural fit with O2 for You: Houseplants with a Purpose,” says Jose Smith, president and CEO of Costa Farms. “Our mission is to communicate the benefits of indoor houseplants to cleanse the air, beautify our environment and provide better health and well-being.”
According to event founder Mark Martin, from Interior Tropical Gardens, this grassroots initiative was established to promote the many attributes of indoor plants. “Research indicates that certain varieties help purify interior spaces and improve productivity in offices where we spend most of our day. We like to say that the ‘oxygen arrives when the plants do.’”
Studies from the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) have found that levels of indoor air pollution can be 2 to 5 times higher - and in some cases 10 times more polluted than outdoor air.
Mark R. Sneller, Ph.D, indoor air quality expert and author of Greener Cleaner Indoor Air agrees. “These findings are of particular concern because the EPA estimates that most people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. It’s been proven that many houseplants help clean the air by absorbing common indoor pollutants.”
Smith emphasizes that with such a powerful message, “Our industry needs to clearly communicate to consumers that live indoor houseplants are nature’s air purifiers that release oxygen, remove carbon dioxide and VOCs from indoor spaces, and brighten up any room with beautiful color and foliage.”
To make it easy for customers and consumers, Costa Farms’ O2 for You branded plant tags and brightly colored POP merchandising will provide instant brand recognition and houseplant care information throughout the month of September.
During National Indoor Plant Week, Costa Farms will be implementing online contests and creating sharable content through their Facebook page and Twitter account to educate consumers that plants are just more than a pretty face.
For more information on National Plant Week visit http://www.nationalindoorplantweek.com. To learn more about Costa Farms visit http://www.costafarms.com and http://www.o2foryou.org.
Costa Farms is the largest producer of indoor houseplants in the world. Founded in 1961 by Jose Costa, Costa Farms is a third generation, family owned business that globally stretches over 3,800 acres and employs 2,800 people. Along with thriving indoor, bedding and perennial plant divisions, Costa Farms operations are located in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, and abroad in the Dominican Republic, and Far East.
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