Ecologists advise giving up plastic flowers for cemeteries in Moldova
22:38 | 15.04.2018 Category: Social
Chisinau, 15 April /MOLDPRES/ – The Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment (MADRM) has recommended that citizens avoid flowers and plastic decorations for cemetery visit to Memorial Easter (and not only), which "pollute soil, air and at burning eliminate cancerous substances".
"The use of artificial flowers endangers human health condition and affects environment negatively. The flowers and plastic decorations eliminate a significant amount of toxic substances, polluting soil and air, while in groundwater there are dyes containing heavy metals. The period of decomposition of petrochemicals may reach up 300 years. Also, dioxins, furans and carcinogens are eliminated in burning process," said head of the Waste Management and Chemicals Policy Department, Svetlana Bolocan.
In this context, MADRM urges persons to contribute to environment protection by renouncing purchase of artificial decorations as to bring them to cemeteries, and alternatively proposes planting multi – annual decorative plants.
According to the information provided by local authorities, about 700 tons of garbage are collected yearly on territory of cemetery Sf. Lazar in Chisinau and 80 per cent of waste is artificial flowers and decorations.
The Memorial Easter is a religious celebration, marked predominantly in Southeastern Europe, a week after Sunday Resurrection, and is based on remembrance of deceased ones. On Memorial Easter, believers visit in cemeteries graves of relatives and relations, bring them in order, and after serving of priests commemorate their remembrance.
(Reporter L. Grubii, editor M. Jantovan)
