Conservation Cemeteries: How 'Green Funerals' Makes Burials More Sustainable

The trend of getting buried sustainably, a more eco-friendly option, is growing.

G reen (or natural) burial stresses environmental sustainability and simplicity. No chemicals, such as embalming fluids, are used to prepare the body.

It is wrapped in a biodegradable shroud or coffin and buried without a concrete vault. The cemetery site has been left to revert to its natural state. The objective is for the corpse to completely decompose and return to the earth in its original condition.

Only then can a funeral genuinely be "ashes to ashes, dust to dust," as the term "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" is frequently used to bury the deceased.

Not a New Concept

Green burials aren't a new concept. Most funerals were done before the mid-nineteenth century, and many Jewish and Muslim graves are being done this way now. For a variety of reasons, green funerals are gaining popularity again:

These burials are intended to have the least amount of damage to the environment and save natural resources. They promote simplicity and sustainability.

The body is not burnt, chemically treated, or buried in a concrete vault like a traditional green burial. It's buried in a biodegradable container and allowed to disintegrate and return to nature totally.

Various Types

(Photo : Photo by Uwe Aranas)

A green funeral can have a variety of qualities, but they all strive to reduce the environmental effect of end-of-life arrangements. Most of these funerals forgo embalming chemicals, cement or metal coffin vaults, and garments produced from particular materials in favor of biodegradable and ecologically friendly materials and storage containers.

Traditional embalming fluid is not used in natural burials. When alternative chemical-free embalming oils are required, they can be used instead-these essential oils break down in the soil without leaving any trace pollutants behind.

Green funeral expenses vary greatly depending on geography and burial place, as they do with other funeral expenditures. Plots for green funerals, for example, at an eco-friendly cemetery, are often bigger than those in a traditional cemetery; hence they may be more expensive.

Cost

The option is often less expensive since it allows you to refuse unneeded services and items. You won't have to pay for a huge headstone or the installation charges in a green cemetery. That isn't to say you shouldn't think about your budget. Because of the growing popularity of green burials, a cost of $5,000 or more for a modest wood coffin is not uncommon. Applying for last expense insurance, often known as funeral insurance or burial insurance, might assist your loved ones in covering your bills.

Environmental Benefits

Natural burial encourages the repair of degraded soils and enables long-term land utilization. In most natural burial regions, standing monuments are not permitted. A marking flush with the earth at the head of the deceased identifies individual burials. The marks can be made of natural rocks or plaques; however, they are rarely concrete.

Some natural burial sites choose no physical markers instead of relying on GPS data to pinpoint grave locations. Most green cemeteries exclude personal plantings and memorial decorations such as potted flowers, wreaths, flags, bells, and balloons to preserve the purely natural environment and safeguard native flora and wildlife.

If you want to be buried naturally, you'll need to look for certain green funeral homes or natural cemeteries that are licensed to do so. You may also require special authorization from your state or county to do so. Some states allow you to perform a burial on your property; however, this varies by state. If you're interested, make sure to verify your state's legislation.