by Jessica Wilcox
Have you ever considered how you might want your death and funeral to align with the values you cherish in life? Are you aware of the environmental impact of different funeral options? Most of us would rather not think about death or funeral planning, however, exploring these questions creates an opportunity to embark on a final act of care for the earth and our loved ones, leaving a legacy that is meaningful, healing and inspiring.
Planning ahead and considering greener funeral options and their environmental impact can be a surprisingly comforting, creative, and life-affirming process. Greener funerals can also allow for our loved ones to participate in our passage in a way that more naturally supports grief and loss and the experience of our death as a sacred rite of passage.
Fortunately, today we have many different eco-friendly options and ways to incorporate our own personal, unique touch to the process. Below are just some of the greener alternatives for body disposition, along with resources and tips to help get you started on this exploration.
Green Burial
This is the most eco-friendly funeral option, and often the least expensive. It involves burial in a natural cloth shroud or biodegradable casket, without the use of chemicals or vault barriers. This option does require a burial plot in a green cemetery. Typically, the grave is shallower, allowing the body to naturally decompose and return to the earth, all while supporting the native plants and soil life.
Traditional Cremation
Although much greener than traditional burial, fire-based cremation does have an environmental impact on air quality and resource consumption. Traditional cremation typically produces 535 lbs of CO2, or the equivalent of a 600 mile car drive. It can be made more eco-friendly, however, by using a natural shroud or casket for the cremation, and a biodegradable urn, scattering tube, or dissolvable water burial urn for the cremains. Cremation also allows for recycling of artificial joints and implants.
Water Cremation
Water Cremation is a process of alkaline hydrolysis which involves the use of water and potassium hydroxide. This process uses 1/12th the energy of fire-based cremation and allows for recycling of artificial joints and implants. It also results in cremains that can be returned to family and friends for scattering.
Composting
Human composting is an environmentally-friendly alternative to burial and cremation, and can be a net carbon neutral process. The body is placed in a vessel surrounded by plant material, and over 5-7 weeks is transformed into nutrient-rich soil which can then be scattered, planted, or donated to local conservation projects for land restoration initiatives. This process results in approximately 1 cubic yard of soil.
GREEN FUNERAL PRODUCTS:
(some are Fair Trade and Green Burial Council Certified)
Natural burial shrouds – these are cloth wraps, often with handles for carrying, that can be used for cremation or burial. There are also mushroom burial shrouds that speed up decomposition.
Natural caskets – these can be made from bamboo, willow, seagrass, pine, etc. Some are sold locally, and even made locally by non-profit organizations, like Fathers Building Futures in Albuquerque, NM.
Biodegradable / Dissolvable urns – for use after cremation as keepsakes, or for scattering, planting, or for water burial of cremains.
Become a Tree – There are urns specially designed to lower the pH of ashes in which you can grow a tree sapling for later planting. There are also options to have your ashes scattered in a memorial forest, or to have trees planted in your memory.
Natural memorial items – Natural engraved stone markers, keepsakes such as engraved medallions, or flower seed ornaments and bookmarks for planting, are just some of the many ideas out there.
Geo-location tagging – there are many options for digitally marking where a person is either naturally buried, ashes were scattered, or a tree was planted. Some companies offer websites with location maps and memorial pages that can be viewed by family friends for visiting.
RESOURCES:
AGreenerFuneral.org – Offers “a guide to creating a more meaningful farewell for you, your loved one, and the planet.”
La Puerta Natural Burial Ground – A natural burial ground in New Mexico that is fully dedicated to green burials - www.naturalburialnewmexico.com
Green Burial Council – Provides certification and education for environmentally sustainable, natural death care - www.greenburialcouncil.org
Passages International – Local, international retailer of unique and sustainable funeral products, for both burial and cremation, available to the public and funeral professionals - www.passagesinternational.com
A Good Goodbye, Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist – Funeral Planning workshops, Albuquerque Death Cafes, Meetup Groups, Before I Die NM Festival – www.agoodgoodbye.com
Natural Transitions Institute – Dedicated to promoting natural death care, transformative ceremony, and to connecting families and communities to death as a sacred passage – www.naturaltransitions.org
Death Doulas – Provide a variety of supportive services throughout the end-of-life process and after death, such as bedside care planning, holding vigil, and assistance with referral resources – www.deathdoulas.com