If you have seen any coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, you will likely have seen the mounds of floral tributes laid in public areas in honor of the monarch’s passing.
What will happen to those millions of blooms? Royal Parks, a charity that manages London’s eight Royal Parks, has a plan for them.
First, officials asked mourners to leave only organic materials in the interests of sustainability. People were asked to lay their tributes at The Green Park or Hyde Park, two royal parks, near Buckingham palace in London.
It was requested that the wrappings around the flowers be removed. While most were, some were not and hundreds of volunteers have taken it upon themselves to remove the plastic packaging, according to The Herald.
The floral tributes will be left on site until all ceremonial activity has taken place, according to Royal Parks.
“It is expected that all floral tributes will be removed from park areas from seven to 14 days after the date of the funeral.
“Tributes will be monitored throughout and if floral tributes have deteriorated, they will be removed and taken to the Hyde Park nursery for processing to prepare them for composting,” a statement from the organization said.
Labels, cards and plastic wrappings left with the flowers will be recycled.
Officials say that any flowers left in areas other than the parks will be “sensitively moved at the end of each day to the Green Park tribute site.”
The organic composted material will be used on shrubberies and landscaping projects in other royal parks and grounds.
Some have been leaving other mementos such as teddy bears or posters. Those items will be collected, but, as of yet, no plans for what to do with them have been announced.
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