Alison FureA petition is calling for the removal of plastic decorative items on gravesAn ecologist is calling for a ban on plastic memorials in Kingston Cemetery.
Alison Fure, 68, is petitioning Kingston Council to begin phasing out plastic decorative items, including ornaments, flowers, and windmills, on graves.
Fure, who has lived within walking distance of the cemetery in south-west London for 35 years, said environmental degradation caused by plastics had left the burial ground's ecology "hanging by a thread", and said a change in policy would bring the site in line with other cemeteries in London.
Kingston Council said it would consider the petition once it had closed, and was committed to protecting the cemetery's "vital habitats".
Fure said she regularly went litter picking with her granddaughter in the cemetery, which is classified as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC).
"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.
Elsewhere in the UK, the removal of artificial flowers in graveyards has caused some upset, with families arguing that they relied on the faux blooms if they were unable to visit a relative's grave regularly.
Others have said that plastic flowers are a cheaper alternative that lasts longer, as rabbits and other animals do not eat them.
Alison FureFure says plastic flowers blow across the cemetery and into the Hogsmill RiverFure said Kingston Cemetery, which "should be a place of natural peace, dignity, and reflection", was now home to cellophane wrappers, plastic plant pots, broken ornaments, artificial flowers, windmills and litter.
"You don't want people laying in a landfill site," she said.
"I think the council would be surprised that the situation has gotten so badly out of hand.
"Everyone blames the crows, but after a windy day, the cemetery looks a state."
Fure said she was also concerned about plastics ending up in the Hogsmill River, which borders the southern edge of the site.
"Everything ends up blowing down the bank and into the river," she said.
The ecologist said any plan to remove plastics from the cemetery, including whether children's graves should be included in any ban, was a decision for the council.
A spokesperson for Kingston Council said current regulations restricted plastic fencing and visitors were asked to remove cellophane wrappers from flowers.
"[The council] remains committed to protecting the cemetery's vital habitats.
"At the same time, we remain mindful that visitors often act according to their individual emotional state when commemorating loved ones.
"Once the petition is closed, it will be considered in line with our petition scheme. As part of this process, we will look at strengthening our messaging both on our website and in direct correspondence."
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