Funeral 411TM
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Going green
In many areas, there are "green" cemeteries or burial parks. In some areas of the country, there are traditional cemeteries that now offer a "green" section of the cemetery or offer more natural burials.
In a green cemetery, burial vaults are not only not required (as they are in almost all cemeteries), but they are not allowed! The belief is to allow the body to return to the earth in a natural way without products that inhibit this original process.
Some green cemeteries or natural burial grounds belong to organizations that share these values. Links to the websites of some of them are listed below:
www.greenburialcouncil.org
www.
If there's no green cemetery near you, ask your local cemeteries if they offer any "green" options for burial. Many cemeteries either have a "green" section or they will allow a special procedure for burial. This usually consists of the way the burial vault is used. Refer to the page on Burial Vaults for a detailed description of how they are used. In a situation where the burial vault is a chest type, in a traditional burial, the bottom is usually already down in the grave, then the casket is lowered into it, and the top is placed on. For a natural burial, where the cemetery requires a vault, it's usually to protect the casket from the heavy equipment used on the surrounding graves when there's a burial and also to protect the casket and keep the ground from sinking in as time would naturally erode the casket. To satisfy this requirement but still allow the natural return of the remains to the earth, the casket is placed in the grave first and the bottom chest part of the vault is placed over the casket. Be sure to ask about this if you're interested in a natural burial but there is no green cemetery or naturial burial ground near you.
In a green cemetery, burial vaults are not only not required (as they are in almost all cemeteries), but they are not allowed! The belief is to allow the body to return to the earth in a natural way without products that inhibit this original process.
Some green cemeteries or natural burial grounds belong to organizations that share these values. Links to the websites of some of them are listed below:
www.greenburialcouncil.org
www.
If there's no green cemetery near you, ask your local cemeteries if they offer any "green" options for burial. Many cemeteries either have a "green" section or they will allow a special procedure for burial. This usually consists of the way the burial vault is used. Refer to the page on Burial Vaults for a detailed description of how they are used. In a situation where the burial vault is a chest type, in a traditional burial, the bottom is usually already down in the grave, then the casket is lowered into it, and the top is placed on. For a natural burial, where the cemetery requires a vault, it's usually to protect the casket from the heavy equipment used on the surrounding graves when there's a burial and also to protect the casket and keep the ground from sinking in as time would naturally erode the casket. To satisfy this requirement but still allow the natural return of the remains to the earth, the casket is placed in the grave first and the bottom chest part of the vault is placed over the casket. Be sure to ask about this if you're interested in a natural burial but there is no green cemetery or naturial burial ground near you.
Funeral homes are now offering eco-friendly services and products that help our environment. There are now caskets made from natural materials, such as organic woods, bamboo, banana leaves and other resources. Many funeral homes are now using formaldehyde-free embalming fluids and besides offering caskets like those mentioned above, are also offering other "green" products.
One word of caution - if the idea of letting your remains go back to the earth in a natural manner appeals to you, you're probably thinking your body will just decompose naturally into the dry earth. If however you considering a green section in a traditional cemeteries, almost all of them have sections where the graves have a foot or more of water in them. Without a burial vault, your body will be submerged in that water which is probably not what you had in mind. So be sure to ask if that's the case in the section of the cemetery you're interested in. You may not get an honest answer from the person at the cemetery, but most funeral directors have a lot of experience in cemeteries and have seen these water-filled graves first hand. Call a few of them to increase your chance of getting an honest answer.
