Sustainable disposal of waste from the flower industry

Rapid urbanization around the world, exponential population growth and industrialization have made waste management a challenge that is increasing every day. Floral waste is a major problem because flowers play an important role in people's lives, beautifying interiors and landscapes and promoting human health. However, flowers are perishable and complex plant organisms that need to be handled and stored properly to maintain their value and quality. Despite the wide distribution of flower species, especially the marigold, only part of the plant is used, usually only the petals, while the larger part remains unused and becomes waste. Therefore, the question arises whether the residues that remain after the use of marigold flowers in various industries, especially in the production of marigold cream, can be used for energy production. For this reason, yellow and orange marigold biomass was used in this work. The basic physical and energetic properties were determined according to the given standards, namely the content of water, ash, coke, fixed carbon and volatile matter, as well as the upper and lower heating value and the content of C, H, N and S. The results obtained showed that for the sustainable disposal of biomass used for energy production, it is better to use yellow marigolds instead of orange ones, as they contain agreater amount of biomass. It was also proven that marigold biomass, with its high carbon content and good calorific value, is a good raw material for energy utilization.