Here's What Happens to Valentine's Flowers That Don't Get Sold

For the floral industry, Valentine's Day is the biggest day of the year. Not all the flowers that hit the shops and stores make it to someone's home.

The prediction for 2020 Valentine's Day spending was $24.7 billion, according to numbers shared by WGN. Of that, close to 40% will be spent on flowers.

So, what happens to all the flowers that aren't purchased? Thousands do wind up in the garbage, but that's not all.

Many charities around the U.S. accept bouquets that weren't sold, and in turn, donate them to patients in hospice or assisted-living care facilities. Random Acts of Flowers is one of those charities.

Lots of unsold flowers are donated and used to train florists-to-be.

Much of what's left at this point gets composted and donated to local landscapers and gardeners to use to improve soil quality.