An eco-friendly guide for those visiting graves
1.Offer local fresh flowers, not plastic ones. Try bringing potted plants. Simple, inexpensive flowers will do. Avoid wrapping them in plastic which will just end up as trash.
2. Candles – Choose clean-burning, lead-free candles that don’t yield black fumes or soot. Limit the number to reduce heat and pollution. Don’t leave plastic receptacles or candle holders to burn.
3. Bring your own water jug to avoid buying bottled water. Plastic bottles add up to the country’s garbage problem.
4. Go for waste-free meals. Say yes to reusable containers lunchboxes, thermos cloth napkins and silverware. Say no to throw-away bags, wraps, foil or Styrofoam, plastic forks and spoons.
5. Instead of junk food, go for simple, nutritious home-prepared baon.
6. Bring a bayong or other reusable bags to carry your stuff. Refuse plastic bags and wrappers from vendors.
7. Buy products with the least amount of packaging.
8. Leave the resting place of your loved ones litter-free. Don’t dump or burn trash in the cemetery. Don’t throw cigarette butts, candy wrappers, discarded packaging, fruit peels, etc. on the ground.
9. Use the garbage bins. Or better yet, place your trash in your reusable bags and bring them home for recycling or composting.
10. Avoid smoking in the cemetery. Be considerate to children, the elderly, pregnant women and others around you who may have respiratory and heart ailments.