The people are strongly advised to give up purchasing compositions of artificial flowers for taking them to the cemetery on Low Sunday or Sunday of the Dead. The Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment reminds that the plastic flowers and decorations pollute the soil, air and environment and emit carcinogens when they are burned, IPN reports.
In a press release, the Ministry said the plastic decorations annually generate considerable quantities of waste and additional costs are incurred for collecting these. Colorants that contain heavy metals reach the groundwater. The petrochemical products can decompose even during up to 300 years. As an alternative, it is suggested planting multiannual decorative plants.
According to the Ministry, the nonobservance of the rules of collecting, keeping, sorting, transporting, burning and non-using industrial, building, municipal and other kind of waste is penalized with a fine of up to 2,000 lei or at most 60 hours of community service in the case of private individuals and with a fine of up to 15,000 lei in the case of legal entities.
About 700 tonnes of waste is annually collected on the territory of the Saint Lazarus Cemetery in Chisinau and the artificial flowers and decorations represent some 80% of this.
