We can do burial better.

While the financial impact of a conventional funeral can be devastating, the environmental impact is less well-known. Every year in the United States, burials consume:

• 30 million board feet of wood (enough to build 4.5 million homes)

• 104,000+ tons of steel

• 1.6 million tons of concrete

• 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid which contains formaldehyde and is highly toxic.

Now, cemeteries are running out of space and, particularly in cities, the price of burial plots is soaring.

Natural /Green Burial

Natural burial can reduce or even reverse negative impacts on the environment. The body is returned to the earth without toxic embalming fluids, in a biodegradable vessel or shroud. Concrete vaults that keep cemetery lawns flat and easy to mow are not used and the land is cared for in ways that preserve or help restore the natural habitat.

Natural Organic Reduction (NOR)

Also known as human composting, NOR speeds up the natural process of decomposition using organic materials and beneficial microbes. A patent-pending system developed by Recompose turns a body into one cubic yard of soil in just 30 days. This service is currently only available in Seattle, WA although a facility is expected in Colorado soon.

Aquamation

Sometimes referred to as biocremation or water cremation, aquamation uses alkaline hydrolysis to dissolve the body over several hours. Remaining bone fragments are reduced to a granular powder similar to cremains.

Cremation

If none of the greener options for disposition are available to you, you might consider cremation without a cemetery interment for the ashes. Rules about where ashes may be spread vary by region but, with discretion, you can generally choose where to bury or release them.

The average cremation generates 540 pounds of carbon, in the U.S. that adds up to almost 400,000 tons of CO2 emissions each year. Organizations like Native Energy can help you offset this impact by funding carbon sequestration projects.

Go Green

Natural burial is a tradition as old as America. In most states, depending on the zoning regulations for where you live, home burial on your own property is still permissible. To learn about your rights and possibilities, visit the Funeral Cosumer Alliance.

New natural burial grounds are being created all around the country, often by dedicated volunteers. The Green Burial Council advocates for natural, environmentally sustainable care of the dead and provides three levels of certification for green cemeteries. If you think natural burial is something you will want in the future, consider getting involved and helping out now.