The Centre for Natural Burial

Bob Such

When Homo sapiens dropped dead in our hunter and gatherer phase, the remains stayed there, subject to the decaying processes of nature. Since then, humans have used burials, cremation, tombs, embalming, mummification and pyramids to deal with the inevitable day when Mother Nature comes knocking. But we now have a choice of returning to a “green” departure, which is even greener than the hunter and gatherer option.

The South Australian Parliament, through its Environment, Resources and Development Committee, is finalising a two-year inquiry into natural burial grounds and should report to Parliament early this year. With the growing emphasis on global warming and protecting, restoring and enhancing the environment, natural burial grounds seem a good way to go and deserving of a green light.

Much of Australia, especially highly urbanised areas, is facing a shortage of conventional burial plots - a consequence of population growth and soaring land prices. Partly as a result of that pressure on burial space there has been an increase in the rate of cremation, which now stands at more than 50 percent.

The switch to cremation has also come about due to the ongoing cost of a burial plot lease or licence, head stone or other marker, and the need for ongoing maintenance. Sites for cremated remains can cost thousands of dollars — $5,000 for a rose bush site is not uncommon.

The lack of tenure in cemeteries is one of the most sensitive issues facing the funeral industry. People who are grieving do not often read the fine print and do not realise that their loved one will not have a guaranteed permanent resting place. The tenure issue also applies to the placement of cremated remains. The lease arrangement assumes that there will be someone to renew the lease in 50 or 100 years time, and that is not always the case.

Cremation is not all that environmentally friendly either, using up a lot of gas or oil, thus creating pollution and exacerbating global warming. Contrary to popular belief, cremated remains, if scattered to the wind, don’t break down readily and return to nature. During cremation the average person produces about 50 kg of carbon dioxide as the body is heated to 850° C for 90 minutes - that’s a lot of hot air.

Enter a new option - the natural burial ground. The concept of the natural burial ground (also known as woodland burial grounds, green burial grounds and forests of memories, and common in Britain and parts of Europe) is simple - bury someone and plant a tree, shrub or grasses to mark the site. In so doing, a permanent forest is created unlike many other cemeteries, which have a lease/licence option.

Cardboard or wicker coffins are usually used in natural burial grounds, as distinct from the less environmentally friendly and sometimes very expensive fancy wood coffin used in conventional burials or cremations, and which can cost up to $10,000. Cardboard coffins are a natural fit with natural burial grounds but are, of course, available now for use in conventional cemeteries, as are other semi-ecological approaches to burial, such as planting a memorial tree.

While there is some degree of greenness in the conventional cemetery set-up, natural burial grounds, if utilised properly, offer the most “green” departure of all. Of course, some semi-natural burials have occurred on farms and reserves but not to the extent encompassed by the current natural burial ground movement, nor with the use of a cardboard or wicker coffin. Likewise, cremated remains have been scattered at sea, from cliff tops and in forests.

During the course of the inquiry, we also learned of other “green” developments in body disposal, which have emerged as an alternative to cremation and burial.

Promession, for example, is a Swedish alternative to cremation in which the body is freeze-dried in liquid nitrogen. This makes the body very brittle and a vibration transforms the body into an organic powder that is then introduced into a vacuum chamber where moisture is evaporated.

The dry powder is passed through a metal separator, where any surgical parts and mercury are removed. The remains are then placed in a biodegradable coffin and after six to twelve months have been turned into compost: “Ashes to ashes - compost to compost”.

Resomation is another technique in which the body is placed in a bag, within a metal cage frame. It is then loaded into a resomation machine for approximately three hours. The machine is filled with a mixture of water and potassium hydroxide, and heated to a high temperature (around 160° C), but at a high pressure, which prevents boiling. The body is effectively dissolved.

The end result is a small quantity of liquid (containing amino acids, peptides, sugars and salts) and what can be described as calcium phosphate ’shadows’ of the bones, easily crushed in the hand to form a white coloured dust. Both the liquid and the dust can be buried in a garden. The resomation process is currently being championed internationally by a number of green groups, and is also being presented as an alternative option at some British crematorium sites.

The natural burial ground can be an old quarry, a slightly contaminated site, or a piece of degraded land in need of rehabilitation and revegetation. A simple plaque at the site of the tree can mark the resting place of the deceased or cremated remains or shrub or it can be by a general information board at the entrance to the park. The site can be consecrated or non-consecrated.

Natural burial grounds are more affordable and are permanent. In a natural burial ground the remains stay there - they are not dug up, rammed back in and new remains put on top (euphemistically called ‘lift and deepen’). If the tree or shrub dies, another one can be planted. Maintenance is at a minimum in a natural burial ground - the idea being to make the site as natural as possible with sensitively located walkways and seating. The trees and shrubs become a living memorial to one’s loved ones and the deceased are genuinely back with Mother Nature.

There is great support for those who know about the concept of natural burial grounds but, of course, some businesses such as monumental masons may lose a bit of business. For now, the natural burial ground is only one option and is expected to attract about 10 to 20 percent of the total funeral business.

South Australia was the first state to introduce cremation facilities in 1903. It is fitting that it is likely to be the first state to introduce natural burial grounds, in response to community demands.