A green funeral is also known as natural burial, green funerals adhere to environmentally-friendly funeral practices. A green funeral can be a great alternative to the traditional, chemical-laden funeral. It’s a way for you and your loved ones to have an environmentally conscious ceremony while still honoring the person who died. There are many environmental benefits when it comes to green funerals. These include not worrying about toxic chemicals in the ground or groundwater from the body being buried in a casket made from non-biodegradable materials.
What Is The Cost Of A Green Funeral?
A green funeral can be more expensive than a traditional funeral. Even though it may be more costly initially, there are many environmental benefits to consider. For example, the lack of chemicals in the ground or groundwater caused by a green burial will save money in the future. A green funeral can also be cheaper depending on what is provided for the funeral ceremony. If you provide your food for guests, you won’t have to worry about paying for catering. The cost of green funerals varies from person to person and depends on each person’s preferences.
What Happens In A Green Funeral?
The first step with a green funeral is to bury the body or cremate it. The ashes are then buried in a biodegradable urn. There is no need for a gravesite for those who choose cremation – the cremated remains can be scattered or buried on your property. We cover the cremation process in depth in our article here.
If you go with burial, a green funeral may require a wood-lined casket that has been sealed with natural paint and is made from an eco-friendly material. There are also options of using biodegradable coffins, which have been filled with organic materials like straw and wrapped with natural fabrics before being placed in the ground. Finally, if you go with burial, consider some things when purchasing a gravesite. There are two types of burial sites: permanent and temporary. Permanent gravesites come at a higher cost because they’re more likely to last over time – they’re usually dug into the ground and filled back up again after each burial is complete. Temporary gravesites can be used until all plots have been sold; these are cheaper but less environmentally friendly because the remains will eventually end up in the ground without any permanence (and may even end up as fertilizer).
How Deep Are You Buried In A Green Burial?
A green burial does not use toxic chemicals or non-biodegradable materials. There are often no grave markers, coffins, or caskets involved, and can take place in various ways. The simplest way is to bury the body wrapped in a shroud with no casket or other grave marker. If you want more elaboration on this process, natural burial grounds offer all the intricate details for your green funeral needs. The body is laid to rest just as it would be if buried in the soil. It’s then covered with at least six inches of soil, and the grave is marked with an eco-friendly plaque made from recycled materials.
What States Allow Green Burials?
In the United States, a few states allow green burials. These states include Oregon, California, Washington, and Vermont. In these states, you can ensure that your loved one’s funeral is as eco-friendly as possible, without having to incur any negative side effects from embalming chemicals. For more information on the chemicals used in this process, check out our article on embalming fluid.
How To Plan A Home Burial or Cremation
Planning a green funeral can be done at home, reducing costs. The first step is to prepare the body for burial or cremation. For a burial, the body will need to be buried in biodegradable materials free of embalming chemicals. To do this, consider using inexpensive cotton sheets, woolen fabric, or bamboo mats. These items can be purchased from your local store.
What about cremation? If you go with burial, you’ll need to purchase an eco-friendly casket or urn so that the body isn’t exposed to harmful chemicals during the process. You may also want to choose an environmentally friendly cemetery that uses solar power instead of fossil fuels for energy.
Green Funeral Process
The process to have a green funeral is fairly simple.
1. Plan a green funeral ceremony – This can be as simple as a memorial service, or you can involve all your loved ones and create a more elaborate event.
2. Plan the location – You’ll need to find a cemetery with natural burial grounds or rent a place for the ceremony.
3. Buy supplies for the service – You’ll want to make sure you have biodegradable flowers, urns, etc., on hand before you begin planning the ceremony.
4. Create an obituary notice – The green funeral process includes making sure everyone who needs to know about their loved one’s death knows about it through an obituary notice that explains what happened and how they want their remains buried or cremated. Not sure how to write an obituary? Check out our post here.
5. Arrange transportation of body – An important part of the green funeral process is making sure no chemicals are used during body transportation (e.g., embalming). It’s also important to consider what happens to any of your loved one’s belongings once they pass away (e.g., donating clothes).
The Benefits Of A Green Funeral
There are many benefits to a green funeral. A green funeral can be an environmentally-friendly alternative that also saves money. Traditional funerals often use non-biodegradable materials, toxic chemicals, and gases released into the ground. A green funeral avoids these problems by using biodegradable materials like wool or cotton, natural embalming fluids, and burial shrouds. One of the most obvious benefits is not worrying about toxic chemicals in groundwater. When you consider your loved one’s life and how they lived their life, you may want to go with a green funeral for their sake as well as the environment.
A green funeral is an environmentally friendly funeral service. It promotes recycling, sort reuse, and natural burial. This type of funeral is becoming more popular every day. There are many benefits to having a green funeral. For one, it’s more sustainable for the environment. Another benefit is that while the cost is higher than a traditional funeral, it is about the same cost as an eco-friendly burial. What are you waiting for? Learn more about how to plan your green funeral today!
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