If you don’t want to think about death right now you should stop reading and move on to one of our other Blog posts. Well…maybe not the one about birds colliding into buildings…and not the one with the eco-coffin, but any of the others.

Greensprings Natural Cemetery, Newfield, NY (photo courtesy of Greensprings)

If you’ve ever been involved in planning a funeral you understand how surreal the whole process can be. No, not like an episode of Six Feet Under, but…strange. You’re expected to make important decisions during a time of extreme emotional duress, and even if you’re planning far in advance it can become overwhelming.

There are many aspects to consider and, like everything else, that includes sustainability practices. In regard to “deathcare” (yes, that’s the lingo), what are green(er) options? Although I had some awareness of this subject, I had no idea how vast and complicated it is, and defining “green” is not so easy. So, I did some basic research and here are a few thoughts:

Donate your body to a medical school. It will be used for training—truly the ultimate recycling. My excitement faded about this after finding out that it’s not as easy as it sounds since certain conditions (organ donation, disease…) may result in “non-acceptance.” Just like an exclusive club or admission to Harvard, I have a feeling that I just might not make the cut. Also, any unused remains must still be disposed of in the future.

Traditional cremation in a green facility. Since one of the major issues with burials is the actual physical space required, cremation seems like a green option. It’s been around for thousands of years. The cremains (more lingo) take little space to bury or store in a container made from recycled materials, or they can be scattered. It does, however, take energy to burn a body although the data that I found was very inconsistent (and often misleading) as to how much energy is actually required. Also, new crematories use half as much energy as older ones. Some even use the energy from the burning process to power their facilities. Furthermore, it appears that solar cremation is being developed. There can be toxic emissions from the fuels being used or from body implants such as dental fillings (yes, I have some) or breast implants (no, I don’t). Some crematories address this by using special multi-step filtration systems to reduce emissions and carbon offsets can also be purchased.

New technologies in lieu of cremation. If you’re looking for something more cutting-edge, there are new eco-friendly technologies: “promession” is a freeze-drying technique involving liquid nitrogen, and there is something called “bio-cremation” that speeds up natural decomposition by using water and an alkali solution. These seem very Doctor Who-ish to me, and I can’t imagine my loved ones learning that I had chosen one of these.

Burial in a memorial reef. OK…this one surprised me. If you do decide on cremation (and you love the ocean), you can have your cremains placed in a “memorial reef,” which is an artificial reef created to replicate a natural marine environment. These reefs, which allow coral and microorganisms to settle on and grow, were developed to offset the deterioration and loss of natural reefs. They are made from environmentally-friendly materials. The first artificial reefs were developed in the late 1980s in the Florida Keys, and the first memorial reef was created in 1998. There are memorial reef projects in Florida, South Carolina, and New Jersey.

A memorial reef (photo courtesy of Eternal Reefs, Inc.)

Green in-ground burial. If you want something more traditional that doesn’t involve embalming (it’s not required by law), try burial in a biodegradable shroud in a shallow grave (too deep and it impedes decomposition) without a marker. Most cemeteries, however, do not allow this type of burial. Although caskets are not required (you can actually rent one for a funeral), a steel or concrete vault is a necessity in most cemeteries to prevent collapse or sinking of the grave. If you live in a rural area, it may be possible to do all of this on your land although laws and regulations vary—but you might want to start on this now since it can take a long time if approvals are required. There are green cemeteries that allow this type of burial and some put special emphasis on the preservation of the land as open space for future generations.

I’ve certainly learned a lot, but I’m not sure about my plans. Decisions about deathcare depend on a variety of factors including religion and spirituality, customs, consideration of family and friends, practicality, and aesthetics, so it doesn’t seem possible to make decisions based solely on sustainability. It does, however, show that sustainability can be a consideration.

For more information: http://www.greenburialcouncil.com/