Are Natural Burials An Eco-Friendly Option?
There is a well-known quote by Frederic Chopin which states that “simplicity is the final achievement.” It seems logical then that burial rites too, should be as simple as possible while still honoring the dead.
Natural burials, also known as green burials, are centered around environmental sustainability and simplicity. To put it simply, a natural burial is when a body is returned to nature. However, simplicity is not what makes them an eco-friendlier option. We will further explore those reasons in this article.
What Is a Natural Burial?
A natural burial is one that follows strict sustainability and environmental guidelines. After death, the body is not prepared with any toxic chemicals like embalming fluids and should also not be cremated. Following this, instead of the conventional concrete vault or ornate casket made of metal or exotic woods, the body is placed in a shroud made of organic materials or a biodegradable coffin. The gravesite is then marked either by a natural stone marker or through a GPS system and allowed to be fully integrated into the natural environment in a green cemetery.
How Is a Green Cemetery Eco-Friendly?
There are three types of green cemeteries that range in terms of their commitment to sustainability – hybrid cemeteries, green burial cemeteries, and conservation burial grounds. Hybrid cemeteries allow for both traditional and natural burials, mainly allowing families to choose to have eco-friendly burial containers.
On the other hand, green burial cemeteries and conservation burial grounds are dedicated to maintaining sustainable protocols and practices. This means ensuring that the processes used all help to conserve energy and minimize waste. Even burial markers that are not made of native stones will not be allowed to ensure that the natural environment remains as pristine as possible. Conservation burial grounds take this one step further by establishing a partnership with a conservation organization to include a conservation management plan to protect the land.
In fact, some of these burial grounds are so committed to sustainability that many will choose to not use herbicides and other chemicals for maintaining their grounds.
How Do Natural Burials Conserve Resources?
On average, American cemeteries utilize over 30 million board feet of hardwood, 17,000 tones of copper and steel, 90,000 tons of steel in caskets, and 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete. More people opting for natural burials will eliminate the need for most of these materials, if not all. This is because natural burials ensure that the bare minimum is used when it comes to funeral practices. This means limiting or even forbidding memorial decorations like balloons, flags, wreaths, and flowers.
On top of this, by eliminating the need for hazardous chemicals that are normally used in embalming like formaldehyde, there are less chemicals released into our natural environments. In particular, the funeral industry utilizes around 5.3 million gallons of embalming fluid per year.
Here at American Heritage Cemetery Funeral Home Crematory, we work with families to ensure that all their concerns and preferences are met. For more information on eco-friendly services, contact us today and our team will be happy to help answer any questions.
