Plastic flowers – a problem for humans and nature!

“On the eve of Radunitsa, the Rossonsky District Inspectorate of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection addresses all people who care about environmental protection.

Annually, on the day of remembrance of the deceased, about 1.5 million people visit cemeteries throughout the Republic of Belarus. If at least a third of them buy two artificial flowers, then about a million plastic flowers will be left on the graves of the deceased.

At the same time, plastic flowers, which look beautiful, harm nature and are even dangerous to humans!

Artificial flowers, during their stay in apartments, dachas, and burial sites, release a significant amount of toxic substances, polluting soil, air, and groundwater.

When they become unusable – fade, lose their shape, we throw them away, creating dumps, burying them in MSW landfills, where they decompose for many years (over 100 years) under the influence of various temperatures and precipitation, significantly impacting the environment.

Flowers are made from various types of artificial materials. For example, the core of the flower can be made of foam, the petals of polyester or latex, and a metal rod is often inserted into the stem made of PVC. That is, it is difficult to determine the type of plastic for proper sorting of flower waste. Consequently, they cannot be recycled yet!

An alternative to buying artificial flowers is to improve the grave by planting live plants, perennials, dwarf shrubs, evergreen coniferous trees, or simply creating a well-kept lawn without flowers. And on the day of visiting graves, you can bring flowers from your home flowerbed or buy inexpensive live flowers.