Green Funerals – Sustainable Planning for the End-Of-Life Process
It is becoming readily easier to make greener choices in our lives. More eco-friendly products are being developed and brought to market to make green living more accessible to the mainstream consumer. But what about green choices for beyond this life? With the growing availability of “Green” Funeral homes, it is becoming easier to make greener and more sustainable choices for end of life.
Caskets
Conventional caskets are finished with a number of petrochemicals such as lacquer, varnish, urethane and varathanes, all of which transmit some level of harmful emissions when buried or cremated. Consider an environmentally friendly casket – a biodegradable wooden box lined with cotton and cellulose materials free of petrochemical based materials. Another option is to skip the box altogether and go for a shroud.
Embalming
The traditional process of displacing blood from the body with a preservative fluid often contains formaldehyde. It is possible to simply skip the embalming altogether but if embalming feels necessary, consider looking for a funeral home that offers 100% non-toxic, biodegradable embalming fluid. (It does exist, you just have to ask). Making this simple choice has a number of green benefits:
- No fumes or health risk for workers
- No threat of ground water table contamination of burial grounds
- Less toxic fumes during cremation
- Receptacles containing the fluid are completely safe when the product has been used and are suitable for recycling.
Cremation vs. Burial
It seems counter intuitive that taking up a perfectly good plot of beautiful greenery would be more environmentally friendly than cremation. However, traditional cremation does create air pollution. Some of the pollutants found in crematorium smokestacks include heavy metals (from our teeth of all things), hydrogen chloride, dioxins and furans. One must also consider the amount of fossil fuels used to accelerate and sustain fire which can reach temperatures of 1400 to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. Ask about the cremation process before making your choice as there are greener cremation options available. For example, bio-cremation is the process of disposing of human corpses through alkaline hydrolysis, which occurs when the body is sealed inside a vault-like tube filled with water and lye and steam heated to 300 degrees. Three hours later, all that remains are bone fragments and 200 gallons of fluid. Essentially, this the natural process of decomposition on fast-forward, leaving behind a fluid that can be safely dumped into sewer systems or even used as a fertilizer on farms and gardens. This process does not leave toxic chemicals in the air or water supply and uses 80 percent less energy than traditional cremation.
If burial still remains the family choice, then take a look for a green cemetery. A natural burial site promotes growth of native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. A green cemetery allows nature to take its course without the use of pesticides or herbicides or wasted water. Also consider planting a tree or shrub to mark the grave of a loved one, over a headstone or tablet. Planting flora on or near a grave creates a living memorial and helps create habitat for local wildlife. End of life planning is a complex process, but at least greener and more sustainable options are now available.
About the Author
Ivy Newport is the resident “green expert” at Every Little Bit Eco Shop, an online store offering everyday products that are conveniently green. Visit http://www.everylittlebitgreen.com for more tips & education on going green, as well as a wide variety of eco-friendly products for greener giving and greener living.
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