Green Burials
What are Green Burials?
According to the Green Burial Council, green burial is a way of caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact that aids in the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat. In recent years, especially with current climate and environmental crises, there has been a growing interest of conservation and protection of our environment.
A full green burial means that the deceased is buried in a simple biodegradable container with no toxic chemical embalming being preformed (which often utilizes formaldehyde). Concrete vaults and headstones are prohibited.
There are five principles of green burial that are essential to follow:
- No embalming with toxic chemicals
- Direct Earth Burial
- Ecological restoration & conservation
- Communal Memorialization
- Optimize land use