World Environment Day is approaching and Ambius suggests 6 plants that improve the air quality of an indoor environment. World Environment Day (WED) is one of the principal ways through which the United Nations – through their Environment Program (UNEP) - raises awareness regarding the plight of the environment worldwide, and focuses political attention and action towards improving the environment.
World Environment Day was established by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 1972, and this year Mongolia - a country which is promoting environmental awareness and encouraging a shift towards a greener economy at big business level - is hosting the WED celebrations on 5 June. The theme for this year is “Think.Eat.Save”.
Previous WED themes have included “Green Economy: Does it include YOU?”, “Forests: Nature at your Service”, “Many species, One planet, One future” and “Your planet needs you: Unite to prevent Climate Change”.
According to the UN “our growing population puts so much pressure on the environment that nowadays the natural resources are no longer as abundant as they used to be. How we use and dispose of non-renewable resources is radically altering our ecosystems and even the planet’s renewable resources (such as water, timber or fish) are rapidly being exhausted. We have now reached a tipping point where the quality of air and water needs to be improved, the level of production needs to be balanced and the amount of waste generated needs to be reduced.”
The quality of interior air is often as poor – if not worse – than that of air outside, especially in large office buildings where pollutant gases (including formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethane) are released in small quantities by a whole range of materials and human activities. A quick and simple way to improve the quality of the air you breathe and to help the environment is to incorporate indoor plants into your interior environment.
There is a growing body of research to back up claims that indoor plants are not only aesthetically pleasing, but beneficial as well. As nature’s air purifiers, they turn carbon dioxide into oxygen and absorb Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) through their leaves, cleaning the indoor air of toxins such as nitrogen dioxide, ammonia and benzene. Then they carry these toxins down through their roots and turn them into food and energy “While plant maintenance for larger indoor plant displays is best left to the professionals like Ambius, caring for a small plant on one’s desk or in one’s home is great way to feel connected to the natural world and to make a positive start towards improving the air quality”, says Lémay Rogers, Marketing Manager of Rentokil Initial. With World Environment Day in mind, Ambius suggests the following 6 air-purifying indoor plants for your interior environment.
- Bamboo Palm: It removes formaldehyde and is also said to act as a natural humidifier.
- Snake Plant: It absorbs nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde.
- Areca Palm: One of the best air purifying indoor plants for general air cleanliness.
- Spider Plant: Great indoor plant for removing carbon monoxide and other toxins or impurities. Spider plants are one of three plants deemed best at removing formaldehyde from the air.
- Peace Lily: Peace lilies could be called the “clean-all.” They’re often placed in bathrooms or laundry rooms because they’re known for removing mold spores. Peace lilies are also known to remove formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.
- Gerbera Daisy: Not only do these gorgeous flowers remove benzene from the air, they’re known to improve sleep by absorbing carbon dioxide and giving off more oxygen over night.
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