The Centre for Natural Burial

By Hillary Marshall, Associated Content

For many the conventional options available for their remains after death simply are not appealing. Some simply do not sit well with the thought of cremation, yet the alternative of being preserved and placed in the ground for eternity seems unnatural. Whether your motivation for another option for your remains after death is financial, environmental or fear based a green burial may be the solution that is right for you.

Many people view the body as nothing more than a home for their soul. Relatively, they see little point being embalmed and essentially being placed in a underground fortress for decades to come. Traditional burial also yield a plethora of environmental problems that concern many people both who are environmentally conscious or not. Conventional burials contribute to the use and release of toxic chemicals into our environment. There is no benefit to embalming fluids other than they preserve your remains for far longer than necessary. Additionally, traditional cemeteries typically don’t allow for many types of natural growth.

Cremation would seem to many the obvious alternative choice to traditional burial. However, cremation yields its own set of problems as well. Contrary to popular belief cremation does require a casket of sorts during the burning process. Although this concern can be somewhat alleviated by selecting a simple coffin that is not lined and contains no chipboard or plastic, it does not completely erase the environmental impact. During the process of cremation pollutants such as dioxins, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide are all released into the atmosphere. This fact simply can’t be changed.

Green burials typically take place in virtually untouched natural and serene preserved areas. Rather then being embalmed after death your remains are dressed in a biodegradable shroud and buried in a natural pine casket. Your final resting place will be marked by a tree or a flat rock native to the area. You still have the option for inscription and can pre-choose the vegetation planted around your burial site. Often times because green cemeteries act as nature preserves your loved ones are welcomed back to hike, picnic and participate in other nature related activities. Many find this more comforting than visiting or paying respects at a traditional cemetery. Most green cemeteries use Global Positioning Systems to map the cemeteries and allow the use of these devices to visitors wanting to locate loved ones as well. With the several green cemeteries now open around the United States the popularity of this once unheard of practice is rapidly increasing.

Opting for a green burial not only reduces your overall impact on the environment, but some find it a more pleasant alternative to the more main stream choices. Many find solace and feel at ease in more natural settings. After all, what could be more relaxing than taking a long leisurely stroll through the woods or sitting and relaxing by a rambling stream. When opting for a green burial you are not only contributing to the preservation of land, but you are giving your loved ones a more peaceful place to pay their respects to you.