What Is the Environmental Impact of Flowers at a Funeral or Memorial Service?

Flowers are a beautiful addition to a funeral or memorial service. But the cultivation, transport, and disposal of flowers have a substantial impact on the environment, which is important to keep in mind when planning a funeral service or memorial event. The following are just a few of the potential environmental concerns:

Transportation

Nearly 90% of cut flowers purchased in the West are imported, most of them from South America, with Colombian and Ecuadorian imports leading the pack. The remainder come from a variety of countries, most notably the Netherlands, which in turn sources the bulk of its exported flowers from Africa. And while it can be argued that the use of flowers imported from these countries is actually more sustainable than growing them at home, since they can be grown without the use of heated greenhouses and artificial light, the carbon footprint is notable. Hauling an estimated $13 billion worth of cut flowers across the globe in refrigerated cargo holds annually uses a lot of energy. According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, in 2018, Valentine’s Day flowers grown in Colombia and transported to the U.S. alone generated 360,000 tons of CO₂ — that’s roughly equivalent to driving 78,000 cars for one year. 

Pesticides and Fertilizer

Although the floriculture industry is working to become more sustainable, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is still widespread. Colombian flower growers, for example, use up to 12 different pesticides, while some countries in Africa use up to 120, including pesticides containing chemicals such as DDT and methylbromide, which are banned in the West. But because cut flowers are not an edible product, the amount of chemical residue contained in imported flowers isn’t regulated by the U.S. In fact, the U.S. and most of Europe require that imported flowers are insect-free, which encourages unbridled pesticide use. 

The use of fertilizers and pesticides is particularly impactful in flower-growing regions of Africa, where run-off from flower farms is destroying ecosystems and polluting local water supplies. In Kenya, for example, most flowers are grown on the shores of Lake Naivasha, a fragile ecosystem that is home to over 400 species of birds, thousands of hippos, wildebeest, and many different types of fish. Since the floriculture industry began to flourish in the late 1990s, overuse of water has shrunk the lake to half its original size, and fertilizer and pesticide pollution has caused fish stock to collapse. What’s more, the number of workers required to support the industry has brought the population of the nearby city of Naivasha to 240,000 (up from 6,000 twenty years ago). With little infrastructure to support this growth, sewage and human waste are polluting the water supply as well. 

Human Cost

While it can’t be measured in dollars and cents or metric tons, the human cost of floriculture is an important consideration for consumers as well. In most countries that mass-produce flowers, workers are subjected to long hours and poor working conditions and are paid far less than a living wage. In Colombia, for example, roughly one in 100 people are employed by the floriculture industry, the vast majority of them women. Most work under contract for about $32 a week, putting in 15-hour days while breathing in chemical residue from pesticides and fertilizers. In Africa, workers are subject to equally poor conditions, but earn even less — in Kenya, for example, an average worker in the floral industry earns about $6.50 a week. 

In recent years, however, some Colombian flower producers have taken steps to address these human rights concerns. The environmental advocacy organization “Florverde,” for example, has developed standards that address both environmental issues and working conditions for those employed in the industry. These include subsidies for housing and education; literacy programs; free child care; higher-than-average wages and shorter-than-average work weeks; on-site health care; and a full benefits package that includes medical, disability and retirement insurance. 

​​Sources

Florverde Sustainable Flowers. Florverde. https://www.florverde.org/ 

“Yes, your mother loves the flowers, but maybe not the cost of flying them in”. International Council on Clean Transportation. https://theicct.org/yes-your-mother-loves-the-flowers-but-maybe-not-the-cost-of-flying-them-in/ 

Floriculture Sustainability Initiative. https://www.fsi2025.com/