Changwon Special City, "Say Goodbye to Plastic Flowers, Offer Fresh Flowers Instead"

Free Fresh Flower Giveaway Event During Chuseok Holiday

Changwon City in Gyeongnam Special City will hold a free fresh flower distribution event at Changwon Park Cemetery and Cheonjabong Park Cemetery on the first day of the Chuseok holiday, the 28th, to eradicate the use of plastic artificial flowers.

Changwon Special City Hall.

South Korea imports more than 2,000 tons of plastic artificial flowers annually, 99% of which are made in China. Most of the imported plastic artificial flowers are made of synthetic fibers, plastic, and iron wire, making them non-recyclable and non-biodegradable, so they are incinerated.

Additionally, plastic artificial flowers placed at gravesites break down into microplastics due to wind, causing soil pollution and environmental harm. Changwon Special City generates about 10 tons of plastic artificial flowers annually from park cemeteries.

Changwon Special City has designated the period from September 18 to October 1 as the “Plastic Artificial Flower Usage Eradication” intensive promotion period and is conducting promotional activities through various media such as the Changwon City Hall electronic display board, SNS, and banner postings.

Following the Lunar New Year, on the first day of the Chuseok holiday, a free distribution event will be held at Changwon Park Cemetery and Cheonjabong Park Cemetery, where 1,000 fresh flowers and promotional materials prepared in advance will be given to visitors paying respects.

Jo Seong-hwan, Director of the Climate and Environment Bureau, said, “We hope people will use fresh flowers grown by local floriculture farms instead of artificial flowers that pollute the environment during memorial flower offerings,” adding, “Changwon City will continue to develop and actively promote improvement measures to establish an eco-friendly memorial culture.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.