The artificial, plastic wreaths are not recommended for use as they are made from a hardly decomposable material and become a source of air pollution when they are incinerated. “The products from plastic that swiftly become waste are a problem we have experienced for a long period of time. It was addressed by the regulations on packing and packing waste adopted in August 2020, which took effect in August 2021. The document describes the process of directing waste,” Virginia Galatonov, senior consultant at the Waste and Chemicals Management Division of the Ministry of Environment, stated for IPN. The given waste should be processed appropriately.
At the moment, there are no specific regulations concerning artificial wreaths. “We have the Law on Waste that stipulates the responsibilities of waste producers and holders in general. Waste holders should manage this appropriately, as the law provides,” said Virginia Galatonov. In the case of artificial wreaths in cemeteries, it is the responsibility of relatives who placed these wreathes on graves to take them to waste storage places, while the administration of the cemetery and the local public authorities should take this waste to a waste processing facility through cleanup services. There are business entities that process such type of waste, from plastic.
Virginia Galatonov noted the given waste should not be taken from one cemetery to another. The incineration of these wreaths in cemeteries is the most dangerous method as this represents a catastrophe for the environment. Until now, the Ministry of Environment made numerous calls, asking not to incinerate different types of waste, such as used tires. Fines are imposed for such violations. The Ministry requested the citizens to no longer use such wreaths.
Contacted by IPN for a comment, the priest of “Apostle and Evangelist Saint John the Theologian Church” Vasile Garbuz said he often called upon the parishioners not to buy and not to bring artificial wreaths to the church as these do not have any spiritual or even esthetic value. “I told them not to waste money. They should better place fresh flowers on graves as this is more suitable from ecological viewpoint. Instead of wasting money on artificial flowers, they should better help the grieving family that may need financial assistance for the burial,” stated priest Vasile Garbuz.
