How To Remain Eco-Friendly Even In Death

A growing number of people are looking to be more eco-friendly in death, searching out sustainable burial methods and funeral options to keep up with the life they led before they died.

Here are some great ideas for remaining eco-friendly even in death.

Cremation Or Burial?

While you might think the logical eco-friendly choice is to be cremated so your body isn't taking up space in the ground, there are a few things you should think about. A cremation releases around 400 kg of carbon into the air and can release toxic emissions from materials in your body such as tooth-fillings and prosthetic materials. If you do opt for cremation, an eco-friendly option is to have your ashes stored in a biodegradable urn, which can then be planted and a tree will grow from the remains. 

If you are planning on having your ashes scattered, you must consider the environment beforehand, as cremation ashes do not have a good balance to encourage healthy plant growth. Try to scatter ashes over a distance and not just in one spot, as this will pose less of a threat to the environment.

A burial has less of a carbon footprint, but embalming fluids can leak into the ground, as well as the fact we’re running out of burial space. However, you can be buried in an eco-friendly casket. A biodegradable coffin will allow you to be buried in a way that preserves the existing habitat.

Keeping Your Funeral Eco-Friendly

There are many options for keeping your funeral eco-friendly, that you can put into effect with a pre-planned funeral, or leave a list of your final wishes for your loved ones to follow. Instead of asking for flowers, you can ask your guests to donate to charities that support the environment.

Try to organise minimal vehicles at the service, such as employing a horse-drawn hearse and encouraging guests to travel together if possible. You could even rent a minibus to go around and pick people up to bring them to the funeral, this will minimise the amount of vehicles on the road.

Eco Coffins From Callum Robertson Funeral Directors

If you’re after an eco-conscious afterlife, Callum Robertson Funeral Directors can help. We can offer environmentally friendly coffins, such as those made from responsibly sourced materials like willow, cardboard, bamboo and wicker caskets.

We can offer funeral plans that have eco-conscious practices in mind, such as cremation instead of burial and horse-drawn hearses to prevent using fossil fuels and polluting the environment.

If you would like to find out more about how we can offer eco-friendly funerals, get in touch today.