Ecologist Alison Fure is petitioning Kingston Council to phase out plastic memorial items at Kingston Cemetery over environmental concerns.
An ecologist is calling on Kingston Council to begin phasing out plastic memorial items at Kingston Cemetery, arguing that artificial flowers, ornaments, windmills and other decorations are harming the site’s ecology.
Alison Fure, 68, who has lived within walking distance of the south-west London cemetery for 35 years, has launched a petition asking the council to change its approach to plastic decorations on graves. She said environmental damage linked to plastic waste had left the burial ground’s ecology “hanging by a thread”
The cemetery is classified as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation, and Fure said she regularly collects litter there with her granddaughter. Her immediate concern, she said, is that plastic items are being broken down and spread through the site.
“The immediate concern is the plastics becoming microplastics. The mowers churn up plastic leaves and petals and it gets embedded over the years,” she said.
Fure said the cemetery, which she described as a place that should offer natural peace, dignity and reflection, now contains cellophane wrappers, plastic plant pots, broken ornaments, artificial flowers, windmills and other litter. She also raised concern that plastic waste could be blown into the Hogsmill River, which borders the southern edge of the site.
The issue is sensitive because plastic tributes can be important to families who cannot visit graves often, and artificial flowers may be cheaper and longer-lasting than fresh flowers. Elsewhere in the UK, efforts to remove artificial flowers from graveyards have prompted objections from relatives.
Fure said decisions about how any restrictions should be introduced, including whether children’s graves would be included, should be made by the council.
Kingston Council said its current rules already restrict plastic fencing and ask visitors to remove cellophane wrappers from flowers. A spokesperson said the council remained committed to protecting the cemetery’s “vital habitats”, while also recognising that visitors are often acting in an emotional moment when commemorating loved ones.
The council said it would consider the petition once it has closed under its petition scheme, and would look at strengthening its messaging on its website and in direct correspondence.
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