Let children walk with Nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous
inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they
will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life.
~John Muir, A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf
Please like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/greenburialsocal to demonstrate your
interest in bringing green burial options to Southern California!
What is a green burial?A green, or natural, burial allows the body to return to the earth in a manner that doesn’t inhibit decomposition and allows the body to recycle naturally. Green burials are an environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional funeral practices as green burials use only non-toxic and biodegradable materials. Green burials are becoming increasingly popular as our desire to live more natural lives and to minimize our impact on the environment increases. In addition to using only environmentally friendly materials, a green burial can also advance ecological goals such as the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat. How do green burials differ from conventional burials?In conventional burials, the preparation of the body and burial site generally do not take into consideration environmental impact. In addition, the biodegradability and sustainability of materials used to make a casket are not considered in a conventional burial, and are often constructed from metal or from rare species of wood. Likewise, conventional cemeteries require the purchase of a concrete vault to prevent the ground from sinking in after it is covered and to allow for the ground to stay level and to be manicured. The concrete vault lines the grave and the casket is then inserted into the concrete vault.
Each year, 22,500 cemeteries across the United States bury approximately:
- 827,060 US gallons of embalming fluid (includes formaldehyde)
- 90,00 tons of steel (caskets)
- 2,700 tons of copper and bronze (caskets)
- 30 million board feet of hardwoods (caskets)
- 1,600,000 tons of reinforced concrete (vaults)
- 14,000 tons of steel (vaults)
Compiled from statistics by the Casket and Funeral Association of America, Cremation Association of North America, Doric Inc., The Rainforest Action Network, and Mary Woodsen, Pre-Posthumous Society.In a green burial:
- Cement vaults are prohibited
- Caskets must be biodegradable or a shroud can be used
- Formaldehyde-based embalming is prohibited
- Burial is in an area with native trees, shrubs, and flowers, with no man-made additions
- Grave markers are those that do not intrude on the landscape
- As in all cemeteries, a record is kept of exact location of each burial (GPS coordinates may be used)
Click here to see a list of green burial cemeteries in California.What you can do if there are no green burial options in your areaFCASC is committed to raising awareness of green burials in Southern California through our website and public presentations. We encourage anyone interested in a green burial to contact their local cemeteries, land conservancies, and city councils, expressing their desire for greener options. Also, please like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/greenburialsocal to demonstrate your interest in these options to conservation organizations!Here are some steps you can take to make a burial as green as possible when a green cemetery is not available:
- Forego embalming. It’s never routinely required by law for funerals.
- Select a wood casket or a cardboard box or a shroud for burial. There are no laws requiring particular types of caskets, however you may want to check with the cemetery to determine if they have any specific requirements. You might encounter resistance from the funeral director or cemetery, but stand your ground.
- Try to find a cemetery that will allow you to omit the use of a vault. Most conventional cemeteries require vaults so if you’re unable to find a cemetery that will accommodate you, choose a concrete grave box that has an open bottom to let the body come in contact with the earth. Or, invert a concrete grave liner and use the lid for something else. You may also refuse to use a vault on religious grounds, though there may be an additional charge for special maintenance of the grave.
- If using your death to preserve and steward land is important to you, it is always possible to be shipped out of state and buried in a conservation burial ground. If this is your preference, consider White Eagle Memorial Preserve in Washington State.
The trailer for “A Will for the Woods,” a documentary about a man’s wish for a meaningful legacy of eco-friendly funerals that conserve natural areas.
Recommended reading:
Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial by Mark Harris
Articles of interest:
Washington Post: Green burials are gaining traction in the Washington area
Read the full article…
Forbes: The Burial Industry Takes A Turn to Eco-Friendliness
Read the full article…
Businessweek – The Greening of Death
Read the full article…
Sacramento News and Review – Grave Pursuits
Read the full article…
US Catholic Magazine – Think outside the box: Being green at the end of life
Read the full article…
Eucalyptus Magazine – Living Green, Dying Green
Read the full article…
The Lutheran – Going Green, even at the end
Read the full article…