Green Funerals – Approaching Funerals with an Eco-Conscience
For those who have lived a life dedicated to environmental responsibility, home funerals and green burials are attractive. Some ideas to include:
- bathing the body using warm water and essential oils, such as lavender, instead of disinfecting chemicals
- keeping or bringing the body home for any legal mandatory waiting periods (NH requires a 48-hour period between death and cremation) or visitation period to be kept cool with ice instead of refrigeration units
- dry ice, Techni-ice, air conditioning, fans, open windows in winter — cool rooms to cool the body instead of embalming chemicals or invasive procedures
- transporting the body to the crematory or cemetery in a home vehicle instead of a hearse, limousine, or service vehicle
- using locally grown flowers rather than hothouse or imported flowers
- personalized, locally-sourced caskets and urns made from native materials by local artists and craftspeople
- imported caskets made from renewable resources such as bamboo or willow, unless the carbon footprint in getting it delivered is prohibitive
- shrouds made of biodegradable materials, such as cotton, muslin, or linen
- hand-dug graves rather than using heavy machinery; green cemeteries require less depth, so less digging
- not using cement, plastic, or metal outer burial vaults
- grave markers made of native stone or other locally-sources materials
- ask your funeral director if he or she is Green Burial Council or NFDA Green Funeral Practices certified