|
Grave Matters: Green Funerals And
Burials
By Dan Francis
Organic or green funerals are gaining in popularity all
over the world. If you incorporate some or all of the
following elements, your funeral service may be
considered eco-friendly or green service.
Firstly, make use of a naturally degradable garment for
your loved one. For the actual funeral, plan a
small-scale gathering in an environmentally friendly
location like a park or a field. Use memorial products
and services employing only recycled paper. Locally
produced and organically grown foods should be used for
the wake. Do not choose to have the body embalmed, or if
embalming is required, choose formaldehyde-free
solutions.
Next, do not use any cement container of any kind.
Employ hand dug plots and keep the grave shallow.
Finally, consider cremation. Green funerals are not only
friendly to the environment, but they are also more cost
efficient than conventional memorials.
More and more bio degradable coffins are being used in
green burials. Cardboard coffins are often used by those
interested in having a green funeral. Some take this a
step further and do away with the coffin altogether.
First, the body is wrapped in soft cotton, then in a
bio-degradable waterproof membrane and finally a hessian
shroud. A coffin is used simply to transport the body
from the church or funeral home to the cemetery. The
coffin used is like a conventional coffin but has a
bottom which opens like a trap door. At the graveside,
the coffin is lowered into the grave, then as the coffin
is lifted up, the doors underneath open, allowing the
body to come to rest at the bottom of the grave.
The result is that only the shrouded body remains in the
grave. There is no wood, no waste, no varnish, no metal
and no formaldehyde.
Becoming popular in the UK are 'bushland burials' which
are carried out in natural burial grounds where bodies
are interred in a natural setting with a tree planted
over the grave. There are more than 200 such cemeteries
in the UK, but so far, only one exists in Australia.
Family and friends are invited to choose a small bush or
shrub native to the area, as this is their way to do
green funerals and this is planted on the grave. Instead
of a carved, artificial marker, the grave is marked with
an appropriately inscribed rock from the area or a tree.
This use of a natural marker rather than a headstone is
a great plus for the environment. Headstones lead to
pollution because they obstruct the growth of trees. If
a natural marker like a tree is used, this can be
emotionally satisfying to those loved behind because
they will have a living memorial to their loved one.
Another novel environment-friendly option is to mix the
ashes of your loved one with reef material. This
material is then placed in the ocean and it eventually
becomes a new reef. This promotes the growth of
organisms that grow on reefs and helps to restore the
ecological balance of the planet.
There are now many green funerals options that will not
harm the planet, and will in fact benefit our world.
For A Complete Guide To Tobin Brothers Funerals
Visit:
http://www.melbournefuneralservices.com.au Today. |
