3 Environmentally Sustainable Funeral Ideas

Research has found that traditional burials and cremations pose major environmental concerns, including soil erosion, air pollution and a excess energy consumption. While this may not be something that you would be inclined to discuss after the death of a loved one, it deserves your attention. Whether it is for a family member, a friend or your beloved pet, there are a few ways of taking care of mortal remains in an eco-friendly way. Here are some of them:

Natural burials involve burying the body in a natural setting like a forest using biodegradable coffins or simply burial shrouds. It also does away with the embalming process. Such burials allow the bodies to decompose naturally. The US has numerous natural burial grounds that prohibit the use of harmful chemicals and non-biodegradable products.

While the options for green cremation are relatively less, you can still opt for a course of action that does the least amount of environmental harm. Choose a crematorium that uses energy-efficient methods of cremating and then filters the remains to reduce the pollutants. You can use biodegradable urns for the ashes. These urns, when placed in water or buried in soil, decompose easily.

Water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis is arguably one of the greenest ways of handling mortal remains. The body of the deceased is placed in a stainless steel vessel where a mixture of water and potassium hydroxide heated at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit is used to dissolve it. All that remains are bone fragments in a sterilized liquid, which are crushed to form the “ash” that is given to the family.

With people becoming more aware of the impact that their bodies might have on the environment, the environmental-friendly funeral industry is starting to witness major growth. You can buy pet cremation urns, biodegradable urns, infant and youth cremation urns and other kinds of urns at our online store.