How to Cut Cemetery Waste on Latvia's All Souls' Day

On Monday, 2 November, Latvia marks Remembrance Day for the Dead, also known as All Souls' Day, when people visit cemeteries to honour deceased relatives, lay flowers and light candles. The tradition also brings large amounts of plastic candle holders, artificial flowers and other decorations into cemeteries, which later become waste. Environmental specialists, including Lithuania's Environmental Protection Agency, are calling for more eco-friendly choices.

Natural flowers and durable decorations

Instead of plastic flowers, baskets and wreaths, specialists recommend live, potted or dried flowers and natural plant arrangements. Artificial decorations are often made of several materials — plastic, metal, textile and glue — which makes them hard to separate and sort, so they are not always suitable for recycling.

When choosing decorations, it is worth considering how long they last: reusable items can be stored and used in later years, cutting both costs and waste. Natural flowers are also a better choice if plastic wrapping, wires and floral foam are removed once the flowers wilt.

Candles

Specialists suggest candles with reusable holders in which only the candle filling is replaced, or candles with no extra glass, plastic or metal casing. Single-use holders often end up as unsortable household waste because wax and paraffin residue hinders recycling. Lithuanian specialists note that paraffin is made from petroleum refining products and, when burned, can form soot and release air pollutants, so natural wax candles are worth choosing where possible.

Sorting waste in cemeteries

Rules may differ depending on the cemetery's manager, so signs by the containers should be followed. In green waste areas, people may dispose of leaves, grass, natural flowers, needles and small branches, after removing plastic wrapping, ribbons and wires.

Used candles and their holders, plastic bags, flower pots, vases, artificial flowers, ribbons and other decorations that cannot be sorted belong in mixed-waste containers. Glass candle holders must not go into ordinary glass packaging containers, because they are not glass packaging. Plastic flower pots should also not automatically be put into plastic packaging bins. Monuments, curbs, stones and soil should be placed in designated areas, if the cemetery has them.

Incorrectly sorted waste can contaminate materials intended for recycling. If a cemetery has no suitable containers, waste should be taken to another collection point rather than left next to overflowing bins.