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What is a Greener Way to Bury a Loved One?
Was your recently deceased loved one committed to ensuring environmental sustainability? You should honor their passion for the environment by ensuring that they are buried in an eco-friendly way. The following are some ideas you may want to try.
•Switch out regular embalming fluids for greener options
When a body is buried, it undergoes embalming. This is done to preserve the body. It involves the use of chemicals such as formaldehyde that are known to be carcinogenic. You can make the burial of your loved one greener by requesting the cemetery to switch out the standard fluids used for embalming with greener options such as essential oils.
• Using a biodegradable casket
In addition to using dangerous chemicals for burying, modern burials also include the use of caskets that are made from toxic plastics, mined metals or wood obtained from thinning forests. You can make the funeral greener by investing in a biodegradable casket. These caskets are made from materials that decompose quickly. These include water hyacinth, banana leaf as well as bamboo.
• Opt for natural burial grounds
If you really want to go green, choose a natural burial ground. These are cemeteries that are licensed to carry out natural burials. In these funerals, your loved one will be wrapped in a shroud that is biodegradable. They will then be buried 3 feet in the ground to ensure natural decomposition of the body. These cemeteries do not use materials that cannot degrade naturally or any harmful chemicals.
• Cremation
There are green methods of cremation that are in use today. These include the use of alkaline hydrolysis. The body is heated in steam for about three hours. The result is fluid and bones. The bones can be ground into an ash for spreading or storage in an urn.
Samantha Milano 12/14/18