A month or so ago, I came upon a YouTube video about how floral waste substantially pollutes the Ganges River, which borders India and Bangladesh. Instead, floral waste can be processed to make incense sticks and many other everyday products used by Indians. I was immediately intrigued by this idea, especially because of my Indian heritage and my passion for sustainability.
First, how does floral waste even get in the Ganges River? Whenever there is a religious festival that is either celebrated by Hindus or Muslims in India, flowers are continuously showered upon statues as a symbol of devotion to their goddesses, gods or God. However, toxic arsenic, lead and cadmium, pesticides and insecticides are infused within the flowers since those chemicals improve their growth. When these flowers end up in the river, it causes many infectious diseases, such as cholera, hepatitis and severe diarrhea. These infections spread across India and Bangladesh, which are unfortunately the leading causes of child mortality across South Asia.
However, Phool Co., a company based in Uttar Pradesh, India, is focused on finding a solution to this issue. Their products are 100% organic and all of the floral waste is fully used to either make compost, florafoam, or to make incense sticks that are commonly used in Indian households. I found the mission statement and story behind this company to be extremely inspiring. It made me realize how sustainability issues are valid concerns.
Here are the links to the website and the YouTube video that I watched, I hope this inspired you in some way and made you all realize that change is possible!