Not-So-Obvious Ways to 'Green' a Funeral
When we think about how to 'green' a funeral some of us picture a woodland burial and a woven willow coffin. This is becoming the ending of choice for the ecologically-minded, with new natural burial grounds opening every year. But there are many less obvious ways to have a "green" send-off. You could try the following:
Pick garden flowers for the coffin, or use only local, seasonal flowers and compostable wreaths. Wire, plastic and 'oasis' mean flowers cannot be composted. Taking flowers to the tip costs the 244 crematoria in the UK £10,000-£12,000 each, every year, to say nothing of the cost to the environment.
Go by bus or minivan, as taking numerous cars to a woodland burial site rather defeats some of the purpose. Even if you're using the crematorium, consider organising a bus and some pick-up points. It may help create a sense of community as well.
Halve your cremation emissions by refusing to embalm and use coffins made from jute, bamboo, wicker, willow, papier-mâché, cardboard, untreated pine, or a reusable coffin. There are some very beautiful and creative coffins for sale, or you can make or decorate one yourself.
Make sure you know a cemetery’s conservation policy for planting trees and wild flowers. Ask crematorium staff if their waste metal from hip joints etc is recycled. £30-50,000 a year goes to UK charities from this recycling, but most crematoria don't use the facility. Ask about reclaimed graves and common (earlier known as paupers') graves; neither use virgin land space. Ask where the granite for your headstone comes from. It's probably been shipped all the way from China. Use local stone.
Have a meaningful funeral, that's very important. Keep all things in balance.
Published Fosse Way Magazine 05/09/2008