Advantages of a Green Burial for Your Departed Loved One
One of the major logistics that you are tasked with taking care of once a loved one passes away is their burial. From choosing the right funeral parlour, inviting their close friends, choosing a casket, selecting the appropriate burial site and more. Not only is this a complex process but it is also an expensive one. Not to mention the fact that your chosen burial will also harm the environment if you choose the conventional route. Fortunately, there is a more affordable and eco-conscious route to take and that is in the form of a green burial.
While not a new concept, natural burials lost their popularity as funerals became a booming business. If you have never heard of this approach before, here are just a couple of advantages a green burial has when compared to the conventional route.
Skip the embalming process
The first reason why a natural burial will be vastly different from the traditional solutions is that you will forgo the embalming of your loved one's body. Embalming is a process that primarily functions to retain the wholeness of the body. Thus, the chemicals prevent the organic breaking down of the cells, tissue, muscle and so on. However, while embalming does retain the appearance of your loved one, the chemical end up seeping into the earth. This leads to contamination of the soil around the burial site.
With a natural burial, the embalming is either done with organic compounds that will not pollute the earth or forgoing this step completely. Hence, your loved ones remains will be one with the earth without the presence of formaldehyde or other chemicals.
Biodegradable caskets or none at all
The second way that a green burial differs from the conventional option is that only sustainable or biodegradable supplies are utilised for the coffin. Thus, instead of steel or hardwood supplies, you will opt for materials such a bamboo, cardboard, wicker or even papier-mache if you choose. One advantage of biodegradable supplies is that they will not harm the environment since they will eventually break down and get absorbed by the earth.
The second benefit of biodegradable materials is that they tend to be much more affordable than traditional casket supplies. On the other hand, you have the option of going with fabric and simply shrouding your loved one's remains before they are interred into the earth. Conversely, you could simply eliminate the use of any casket or shroud and bury the remains on their own.
If you're in charge of planning a funeral, contact local burial services to learn more about your options.
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