Green funerals

Sunlight through woodlands © Hubert Körner - Fotolia.com

Lily Barclay finds out how to lessen the environmental impact of a funeral

Caring for the environment isn’t just for the living. Natural burials are one of the fastest growing green trends, with many people seeing an eco-conscious funeral as a fitting ending to a carbon-conscious life.

Natural burials are typically carried out in specially designated woodlands or nature reserves. You can choose from a range of sustainable coffins.

A key part of the attraction of natural burials is that they offer a great deal of freedom, both in terms of time and the type of ceremony on offer. Unlike conventional funerals, you can spend a whole afternoon in a natural burial ground and even have a picnic there.

The service can be undertaken by family and friends, a religious spokesman or a member of the British Humanist Association.

The financial benefits of keeping things simple can also be significant, with the average natural burial costing around £650. But going green doesn’t have to mean going basic, from the top-of-the-range Ecopod coffin to seasonal flower reefs, there are many options out there.

  • Q:

    What’s wrong with a traditional funeral?

  • A:

    It seems that even death has an environmental impact. Cremations alone are responsible for a cocktail of emissions and reportedly produce about 50kg of CO2. Most of these emissions are caused when the coffin is burned, which involves the release of chemicals such as sulphur dioxide, hydrochloric acid and hydrofluoric acid to name but a few.

    Cremations also release 15-16% of UK mercury emissions as a result of melting dental fillings - and the numbers are rising.

    When it comes to burials, headstones and coffins can be particularly heavy on the world's natural resources, using up vast amounts of oak, timber and marble. The release of formaldehyde into the soil (as a result of embalmment) has also been highlighted as an environmental concern.

    None of this is good news for greenies, but there are plenty of eco-friendly alternatives out there.

  • Q:

    What kinds of green coffins can I buy?

  • A:

    A traditional oak coffin takes about 50 years to degrade. If you want a more sustainable, faster degrading option, the cardboard coffin is undoubtedly the most economical (at an average price of £85) and can be hand-painted to order.

    You’ll also find cardboard coffins are accepted at nearly all crematoriams across the country - some will even give you a discount because less energy is used.

    But if you’re concerned about style, there are plenty of more elogent, eco-friendly choices - wicker, woven, soft jute, banana skin and bamboo are all good sustainable options. If you fancy something even more cutting-edge check out the Ecopod, which is made from papier mache created from recycled paper. You can even have it coated in gold leaf.

  • Q:

    I’ve heard of a coffin cover arrangement, what is this?

  • A:

    If you want a traditional, economical funeral, you can opt for a coffin cover arrangement. This means borrowing an oak casket made from sustainably sourced trees from the funeral directors.

    They come fitted with a separate internal coffin made from simple biodegradable material and it is this part of the coffin that will be removed and either buried or cremated. It’s a practical and cost-effective choice, as you are only charged for the use of the internal coffin, which is very cheap to produce.

  • Q:

    What is better for the environment – cremation or burial

  • A:

    There is no definite answer. Traditionally, cremation was considered more eco-friendly because it didn’t place demand on land for burial use.

    But despite tight controls on cremator emissions, the release of several polluting chemicals into the air from crematoria has raised several concerns. It is worth mentioning that much depends on the crematoria in question - some newer facilities have installed special filters to cut their emissions.

  • Q:

    How can I have a natural burial?

  • A:

    Natural burial grounds are typically found in woodlands or nature reserves. Most plots should be protected from development - but it is worth double-checking this when looking at sites.

    A good source of information is The Natural Death Handbook, which lists more than 200 natural burial sites in the UK, as well as legal advice on regulations.

  • Q:

    What about the headstone?

  • A:

    If you decide to opt for a natural burial then you won’t be permitted a headstone. However, you can mark the plot with a plant, a tree or wild flowers, after the soil has been given a couple of weeks to settle.

    The site itself will be kept as natural as possible, and most will be a haven of nature where wild and plant life is actively encouraged.

  • Q:

    Will the body be treated differently?

  • A:

    Most natural burial sites will prohibit the practice of embalming to avoid any unnatural chemicals contaminating the soil. Embalming is the process carried out to preserve the body and involves removing all remaining body fluids and replacing them with a solution of formaldehyde.

    The effect of these chemicals on soil and on air quality is not accurately known. But it is worth remembering that friends and family may be restricted from seeing the body if the embalming process does not take place.

    However, leaving the body in its natural state means there is nothing stopping it from naturally disintegrating into the earth and nourishing the local trees and plant life. Perhaps that is the ultimate contribution to the environment.