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Green burials go mainstream

An expert in natural burials offers insights on the industry. Plus: Simple tips for making funerals more eco-friendly.
By PlentyMag.com
Tue, Mar 24 2009 at 12:13 PM EST
Read more: GREEN LIVING

As far as trends go, this one is macabre — literally. The popularity of green funerals has increased significantly in recent years. These events can incorporate everything from biodegradable coffins, to eco-friendly clothing for the deceased, to using fuel-efficient cars for the procession instead of gas-guzzling limos, to a burial plot in a natural setting (as opposed to traditional cemeteries or churchyards). In the United Kingdom alone, where the first natural burial ground opened 15 years ago, today there are 228 such sites.
 
The UK’s Natural Death Centre (NDC) is just one of many groups that offers advice on green burials. On April 19, Mike Jarvis, the organization’s director, spoke at London’s Green Funeral Exhibition, where those in the business showcased their services and products. The center projects that by the year 2010, natural burial will account for 11 to 12 percent of all burials in the UK.
 
To help educate people about the benefits of natural burials, the NDC publishes The Natural Death Handbook (an updated version will come out in 2009), which contains tips, legal advice and case studies on how to arrange a “dignified death in harmony with nature.” We caught up with Jarvis, who broke down the nuts and bolts of green burials.
 
Q: What is your view of the conventional funeral industry?
 
A: Many undertakers provide a very good service. Sadly, many others are hidebound by traditions that encourage death issues to be surrounded in some form of mystique. It is not helpful when death is seen as a taboo subject.
 
Q: Can you tell me more about the environmental impact of funerals?
 
A: Cremation is the single biggest source of mercury pollution in the UK. Standard coffins are made of veneered chipboard, much of which is made with formaldehyde in the glue. Natural burial in a biodegradable coffin will easily reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent.
 
Q: What are the best eco or biodegradable coffins on the market right now?
 
A:  In my opinion, the most eco-friendly coffins are the ones made of woven materials. If they don't have to be transported too far from the place of manufacture, that helps, too, although bamboo coffins made in China score well as the material is sustainable and the shipping is done in such a way that the carbon footprint of transporting one of them to this country is no more than driving a coffin three miles by road (Ecoffins manufactures the bamboo coffins and was the first British company to get Fair Trade accreditation in China.) Solid wooden coffins from sustainable sources score well, too, but they may not be so user-friendly because of their weight.
 
Q: What is the most unusual funeral you have offered advice on?
 
A:  I suppose the oddest was a man who wanted to bury his father on his favorite golf course. As a result of our advice, that did take place!
 
Q: What options are there other than burial in a cemetery or scattering in a crematorium's memorial garden?
 
A: Burial in a churchyard, burial on private land, burial at sea, burial in a natural burial ground; disposal of ashes by scattering (more or less anywhere with the landowner's consent). You can also have ashes made into artificial gem stones; mixed with pigments for paintings; sent skywards as part of a firework display; sent (in small amounts) into space; turned into artificial coral reefs; or interred in a family grave plot.

Q: For those lacking a lot of cash or time, what are some simple tips you can recommend to make a funeral greener?
 
A:  Use a coffin made of biodegradable materials from sustainable sources. Make sure that floral tributes are not bound with plastic covered wire — use raffia instead. Don't have floral tributes in "oasis" (a form of foam for floral displays made of expanded polystyrene which doesn't break down). If the funeral is by way of cremation, use a crematorium with up-to-date filtration. Do not have unnecessary following cars provided by the undertaker. Don't pay for unnecessary embalming.
 
Q: Can one scatter ashes wherever one wants?
 
A: The landowner's consent must be obtained if scattering on private land. Many well-known places will not allow scattering because of excessive demand (some football grounds, for example). One cannot scatter ashes on the seashore between high and low water marks. Ashes scattering is bad for some plant life found at very high altitudes.
 
Story by Giovanna Dunmall. This article originally appeared in Plenty in April 2008.
 
Copyright Environ Press 2008


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Comments(5)

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Posted By Joe McPhee FD - Wed, Nov 11 2009 at 2:28 PM EST

Excellent Article

Could the author get in touch with me. I am a Ill. FD wanting to offer Green services and see you have an in depth knowledge of the concept. You could be an advisor in my planning. Joe McPhee

Posted By Jennene Christine - Wed, Jul 08 2009 at 2:40 PM EST

Truly Green

In the book The Curious Life of Cadavers, I read that there was another option to burial and cremation that was truly green and legal in one of the Scandinavian countries. The process involved flash freezing the body and then bombarding it with a lazer, that pulverized the body, leaving a fully organic, nutrient-rich material that could be added to the soil for planting flora. I liked the idea immensely. No mercury pollutants, no fire, no dank earth and slow decomposition. Has anyone heard if.... More

Posted By Isaiah R. - Mon, Apr 20 2009 at 6:48 AM EST

April 15

This thing would be a very helpful and an eco-friendly way of burial. Well this is practical way of spending lesser money also great thing that this can help avoiding another pollution in the environment. Tradition may stop this way of modern times but in practical ways this would be a very useful thing for everybody. We must think for future of the nxt generation. We should establish a good environment for them to live in. Also this will be a good thing for our bad economy. So many things that.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Fri, Mar 06 2009 at 11:53 AM EST

Bugs and dirt

As a manufacturer of Green burial shrouds since 2004 (www.greenburialproducts.com)and a big believer in giving the body back to the Earth as compost and food for all the empire's of the dirt, I am wondering if there will be a time when families will be comfortable with combination cemetery/grazing land?
I know cemetery/organic food farm is a stretch but I certainly would love the massage of.... More

Posted By Thomas Friese - Fri, Mar 06 2009 at 7:10 AM EST

What green burial still needs to figure out

The green burial movement’s new environmental standards for burials are excellent and will presumably soon become the norm. But as new initiative, we should not expect its ideas to be perfect from day 1. In fact, we find that green burial often considers the environmental aspects at the expense of the human ones. Environmental considerations are important, but not everything.

Actually, they are the easier ones – we must return to what mankind did until very recently. The human aspects -.... More

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