When it comes to death and what to do with a deceased’s remains, most people think of only two options: burial or cremation. However, these options are not particularly environmentally friendly. For those who are more environmentally minded, here are some nontraditional, eco-friendly burial ideas. An added benefit is that many of these environmentally friendly ideas are also less expensive than the traditional options.
Aquamation – (also known as water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis) is a water-based alternative to traditional cremation. The process has been legalized in about twenty states. Desmond Tutu requested aquamation instead of cremation by fire likely because he knew that aquamation uses an estimated 90 percent less energy than cremation by fire.
Mushroom Burial Suit – Actor Luke Perry, probably best known for his role as Dylan McKay on the Beverly Hills, 90210 TV series, was buried in a specially made biodegradable mushroom suit. While this may sound like a quirky celebrity antic, the creator of the mushroom burial suit says the mushroom spores that line this special suit are trained to consume dead human tissue. Human remains contain toxins that are released into the atmosphere during cremation or through other methods of burial. Mushrooms can absorb and purify these toxins, resulting in a cleaner earth. After breaking down the human tissue, the mushrooms conduct the nutrients from the body to fungi in the soil that then pass these nutrients on to trees.
Green Burial – A green burial is similar to a normal burial except no embalming fluids or toxic chemicals of any kind are used. Rather than using a machine to dig the grave, the green burial ground staff—or even the client’s loved ones themselves— dig the grave by hand. To allow the body to decompose in a natural way, no cement burial vault is used, and only caskets made from biodegradable materials, such as wicker, are used. Alternatively, the casket can be eliminated altogether, and the body can simply be buried in a cloth shroud.
Sea Burial – Sea burials may be a more familiar eco-friendly option as this method has been used for centuries by Vikings, pirates, and sailors. Today, sea burials may take the form of using a water-soluble urn or submerging a modified casket down to the ocean floor. More environmentally conscious sea burials may use natural burial shrouds or mix the person’s ashes with an eco-friendly concrete that is used to construct artificial reefs that foster aquatic life.
Recomposition – Recomposition, or body composting, is the process of converting human bodies into soil using natural means. The body is placed into a container with a mixture of wood chips, straw, and other organic materials that are then exposed to heat and oxygen to accelerate the decaying process. After about thirty days, the remains will have decomposed into about a cubic yard of soil, which the client’s loved ones can use in their gardens. Body composting is currently legal in only three states: Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.
Making burial decisions for a loved one can be an emotionally stressful experience for the family members who are left behind. These nontraditional methods may not be the first thing a family considers, so if you want your remains disposed of in a particular way, it is important to make this preference known by having an experienced attorney prepare your estate plan.