What are the advantages of green burial? Shropshire Funerals are independent funeral directors working throughout Oswestry And Shropshire. We look at why you may consider not getting a conventional burial. Find out more about why green burials might be the right choice for you.
What is Green Burial?
Green burial is a method of burial that helps care for the bodies of the dead with as minimal impact on the environment as physically possible.
The green burial council and various funeral homes have stated it is utilised by many who believe strongly in conserving our earth and natural resources, protecting worker health and reducing carbon emissions.
Those who take a more spiritual stance also believe that as we come from the earth, in death, we return to it, which is the best way to ensure so.
How are green burials different?
Numerous eco-friendly and non-invasive methods are utilised to care for the human body during and before green burials.
The most significant difference you'll find is the non-toxic materials used to bury the dead are biodegradable and enable the body to become one with the earth as they decay; however, many who engage in such practices may perform spiritual rituals that honour the dead.
The ritual aspect is currently on the rise, as the natural setting is ideal for acknowledging the loss and celebrating life. All ways and methods of celebrating life are beautiful and sacred in their own right, yet this is purely the most sustainable.
Green burial cemeteries:
Green cemeteries and burial sites are known for the following aspects:
They successfully help reduce our carbon footprint and massively benefit the eco-cycle.
It encourages us to occupy less land with meaningful, ecological quality.
Green cemeteries are managed as often as municipal or traditional cemeteries, private lands, conservational land, land trusts and recreational preserves.
It incorporates biodegradable shrouds, urns, and caskets typically made using local craftspeople and their local resources.
The process avoids the use of reinforced concrete vaults, toxic pesticides, embalming fluids or herbicides.
You can mark the location of your loved ones with GPS, which makes visits much easier to navigate.
Such cemeteries provide plenty of research and teaching opportunities for those that may not know the benefits.
They create and build a community for many cultural and spiritual individuals.
It helps restore and protect various wildlife habitats by not disrupting the ground below and above. It also allows us to protect the local water supply. Additionally, it encourages and integrates native plant communities, which is more sustainable for the environment.
Why should I consider not getting a conventional burial?
Families worldwide can choose to have a green burial for their loved ones or themselves. For a while, many chose natural burials over traditional burials as they are one of the most popular and affordable methods.
In more religious countries, traditional burial methods are favoured as they focus primarily on the preservation of the body, which is achieved by utilising chemicals referred to as embalming fluids. The body is then preserved inside a sealed casket or in-ground vaults located inside the earth or in mausoleums.
The traditional ways are skillfully designed to seal the body from dirt, soil and moisture. However, more spiritual faiths and those passionate about the environment tend to opt for natural burial processes to feel connected to the earth and reduce their carbon footprint.
For many, traditional methods of burial aren't sustainable enough to justify and are often too pricey for some to consider. The embalming fluids involved are toxic to human life and the environment, bringing numerous health risks to workers, so many have begun opting for other choices that will benefit the earth.
Caskets are often perceived as resource-heavy, generally because they are made using precious woods and metal, and vaults are created with concrete, meaning you need to take a considerable amount of resources from the earth to make them, which many may deem a draw.
Some even consider monuments and headstones too resource heavy, and it's better to do without these as these materials could eventually become scarce. It is also labour-intensive due to the mining and frequent transportation of materials for headstones, such as granite, and takes valuable resources from our ecosystem via energy consumption.
The Benefits of Green Burials
Those with loved ones that have a fondness for nature or were particularly eco-conscious in their lifetime may want what's commonly referred to as a natural or green burial.
Natural burials are slightly different from traditional burial methods and cremation; they allow the body to become one with the earth and naturally decompose, surrounded by biodegradable materials that will decay with it.
It is a method that removes the embalming chemicals and the natural wood materials taken from the forestry and woodland to curate thick heavy coffins that take years and decades to decompose.
Swapping out these materials, green burial directors help you select beautifully crafted coffins made from willow, bamboo, cardboard, linen and soft wool.
Each funeral and burial design is deeply personal for family members or close friends; however, a laundry list of positives and benefits comes with opting for a green burial.
The National Funeral Directors Association state that over recent years, green burials have risen in popularity, likely to the increase in those practising spirituality and the concern over our earth and its climate.
Reduce your Carbon Footprint
Plenty of people worldwide are becoming increasingly conscious of our ever-growing climate crisis. Therefore, it is in our best intention to reduce it as much as possible, even in death.
Green burials utilise less fossil fuels and natural resources, as they don't require harmful burning in cremation or wood materials for a thick coffin.
You'll find that when investing in a green burial, you'll have a smaller carbon footprint, and you can guarantee you have a long-lasting positive impact.
Conserve Resources
Many traditional coffins used to bury loved ones are created using metal and wood, yet sourcing and implementing them can take a lot of energy and resources.
As many want beautiful coffins to place their loved ones in, many families opt for coffins made of precious wood like cherry and mahogany. It can sometimes take decades to replenish such material resources back into our environment.
Green burials tend to incorporate bamboo, willow and various other biodegradable casket materials that are more eco-friendly and overall better for the earth.
Reduce Costs
You'll find that traditional burials and cremations are far more expensive compared to green burials, as they utilise more affordable materials.
Part of the traditional burial is the embalming process, which is more labour-intensive, which is what vamps the price up. The eco-friendly materials are cheaper than solid wood coffins due to how they are sourced and their weight.
Conserve Natural Habitats
With a green burial, a body can naturally decompose and be at one with the earth without needing gravestones or hardwood coffins, meaning there's no disturbance of natural habitats.
Complete body decomposition enables forests and trees to thrive fully, and new flowers and shrubs can be planted. It can be beautiful and comforting to know that your loved ones are safely buried in a natural location and essentially part of the earth.
You can get in touch with local experts to arrange and curate green funerals that are to your liking. Woodland burials are ideal for those families and loved ones who were or are passionate about the ecosystem and desire a stunning, rustic-looking, biodegradable coffin made from environmentally friendly materials.
Many undertakers and directors in the funeral industry can customise the funeral plan and events to cater to you and the wishes of your loved ones; for example, if you desire a traditional church burial with an eco-friendly burial, many will help you achieve that.
Whilst Catholics, Christians and various other faiths typically opt for wood and metal casket or vault burials, they are not opposed to the natural or spiritualist burial, as many believe "From dust you came and to dust you shall return."
Are you looking for independent funeral directors in Shropshire? Our family run funeral director service provides green burial services with support for you and your loved ones during the funeral arrangement and service.