What are Some Ways to Plan a Green Burial?

It’s becoming more and more common to consider how our individual actions affect our planet and environment. As we learn more about humankind’s environmental footprint, many people want to change their lifestyle to be more eco-friendly. This can be done in many different ways. One way to do this is with how you plan ahead for your own disposition, or for that of a loved one. Your funeral home near Glade Hill, VA, can help you create a more eco-friendly or “green” funeral and burial. 

Unfortunately, the traditional funeral and burial process involves some harmful chemicals. One of these is formaldehyde, which is used in the embalming process. There are some more eco-friendly alternatives to embalming, but keep in mind that they will not be quite as effective. Alternatively, you could forgo the viewing completely, opting instead for a more private final goodbye with just immediate family. That way, you can avoid using those toxic materials and allowing them to eventually enter the soil. 

Another common source of harmful chemicals is the casket. Many caskets are made of materials like wood that have been treated to last as long as possible after they have been buried. The treatments used on the wood require harmful chemicals, which enter the soil after burial. The simplest way to avoid this is to purchase a casket made from untreated wood. You could also opt to use a burial shroud made from natural materials, like cotton, linen, or silk. This will greatly reduce the negative environmental impact that traditional burial is associated with. 

Most cemeteries require the creation of a concrete vault for each burial plot. The main purpose of this is to keep the ground levels even, and it slows down the process of the casket and remains breaking down into the soil. It is disruptive to the local ecosystem, however. There are some cemeteries that allow you to forgo this concrete vault, allowing you or your loved one to return to the soil much more quickly, and making a much smaller footprint overall. Some places will even allow you to use a natural grave marker, rather than a typical headstone. Examples of natural grave markers might include a small patch of perennial wildflowers, or a decorative tree or bush. These are beautiful ways to mark a person’s burial site, and they positively contribute to the local ecosystem as well. 

There are many different ways to lower the negative environmental impact of a traditional funeral and burial. If you or your loved one had a passion for nature and the planet, then some of these options might be right for you. You can do one, some, or all of these things to make that much more of a difference. Your funeral home near Glade Hill, VA, will work with you towards creating a more eco-friendly service. Then, you can be confident that your choices will have a positive impact on the planet, and you can be glad that you have contributed to a healthier environment for future generations.