The Russian ecological operator has proposed that bouquets should not be packaged in plastic

Experts say a gradual switch to green materials in the flower trade would significantly reduce emissions and have a positive impact on the climate.

Photo by: astrall232 / iStock

The Russian Ecological Operator (REO) has proposed to abandon the packaging of flowers in plastic. The first steps in this direction were already taken on 1 September — the organisation sent out such recommendations to regional education authorities, as well as to the Russian Union of Entrepreneurs “Business Russia”.

REO estimates that there are about 17 million children in Russian schools. And if only all first-graders in the country bring plastic-wrapped bouquets to school line-ups, it would produce 19 tonnes of waste.

According to the head of REO, Denis Butsaev, the packaging for flowers is usually made of polypropylene. It is recyclable, but the material must be dry and clean to do so. Contaminated plastic cannot be recycled, so it will be sent to landfill sites where it will decompose for tens or hundreds of years.

“Plastic flower wrapping is something that goes 100% to landfill. So the bouquet will last four days, but the wrapping will sit in a landfill for four hundred years. Each buyer must decide for himself whether it is worth it,” the newspaper quotes Ruslan Gubaidullin, executive director of the Clean Country Association, as saying.

He pointed out that about 60 million tonnes of waste is generated in Russia every year, most of which is various packaging. That is why the beginning of the school year is an excellent time to start forming environmentally friendly habits among schoolchildren and their parents.

Delovaya Rossiya supported the initiative of REO. According to Alexander Kobenko, chairman of the organisation’s recycling and secondary resources committee, there are many alternatives to plastic packaging, such as paper containers, which can then be used at home or sent for recycling.

However, representatives of Business Russia admitted that the switch from plastic to other types of materials is likely to make bouquets more expensive.

But the National Association of Florists is not yet ready to give up wrapping products in plastic film. Alexei Antipov, the head of the organization, explained that the major growers in the industry are equipped with millions of dollars worth of equipment to wrap flowers in plastic. Not using it and rebuilding the existing infrastructure would cause huge financial losses for the companies.

At the same time, the Association of Online Retail Companies believes that the initiative is feasible, as consumers have a demand for environmental friendliness. According to the president of the Association, Artem Sokolov, plastic packaging of flowers is much less common today than it was two years ago. Retailers are now more likely to choose coloured paper or biodegradable materials.

Cover photo: afefelov / iStock