Go green six feet under
Many people will prepare for their departure from this world by getting their business and financial affairs in order but what about ensuring your funeral is green? Typical coffins or caskets made of everything from stainless steel to fiberglass are not only manufactured irresponsibly but the lacquer, resin, glues, finishes and solvents (not to mention the embalming process) don't allow for the coffin or its contents to biodegrade. Have no fear -- green options are here!!From the shroud to bamboo, wicker to cardboard, papier-mache to sustainably harvested wood, there is an option for you. I had no idea there would be so many possibilities. I even came across a fantastic substitution for a headstone -- plant a tree above the grave which will continue to grow and flourish for years to come. For more fascinating funeral fashions check out these websites and get to planning for the future today: OnEarth, Eco Casket, Kinkaraco.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-12-2007 @ 7:15AM
Frank said...
I love the idea of planting a tree over my grave--it's all about the circle of life!
http://www.theblurgh.com
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12-12-2007 @ 12:10PM
Karsten said...
Is it not amazing? We even pollute after we are dead!
Anyone want to buy some land in Northern Vermont (say 100 acres) to share with (say 100) other folks and reserve one acre for your final resting place? No artificial marker, no religion, no spiritual stuff. Just your body, your coordinates, and nature. And 12 years after you are dead, you are gone. Well, bones will be left. Good fertilizer.
Let me know.
Karsten
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http://www.polluteless.com
Practical Advice to Pollute Less
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12-12-2007 @ 5:08PM
Karsten said...
I forgot: Not only are the coffin and embalming process a problem, cemetery maintenance is about as natural as the maintenance of golf courses. Fossil fuels for mowers and two-stroke trimmers, human-made pesticides and fertilizers, etc. I wonder if anyone has ever measured the toxins that can be found in a conventional cemetery. Can't be healthy, but then again, the current residents do not care.
Go try to find a natural cemetery in the USA. I think there are four (!) in the USA. 18 in England. Conventional funerals are good business. Don't expect changes from that direction.
Karsten
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http://www.polluteless.com
Practical Advice to Pollute Less
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1-23-2008 @ 4:03PM
Mike Salisbury said...
Natural Burial Around the World
The modern concept of natural burial began in the UK in 1993 and has since spread across the globe. According the Centre for Natural Burial, http://naturalburial.coop there are now several hundred natural burial grounds in the United Kingdom and half a dozen sites across the USA, with others planned in Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and even China.
A natural burial allows you to use your funeral as a conservation tool to create, restore and protect urban green spaces.
The Centre for Natural Burial provides comprehensive resources supporting the development of natural burial and detailed information about natural burial sites around the world. With the Natural Burial Co-operative newsletter you can stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the rapidly growing trend of natural burial including, announcements of new and proposed natural burial sites, book reviews, interviews, stories and feature articles.
The Centre for Natural Burial
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