I want to extend my conscientious lifestyle into my post-mortem arrangements. Can you recommend any eco-friendly forms of natural burial?
If you’re looking for a way to stay green in the grave, consider building your own casket out of harvested materials, or choose a biodegradable coffin or urn. Making such a decision can sidestep the high costs and unsustainable makeup of chemical embalming and a conventional casket.
Biodegradable coffin and urn options range from the Ecopod, a vessel made of recycled newspaper and mulberry pulp, to hand-built caskets crafted out of native, sustainably harvested wood. Simple kits, such as that used to build this Wisconsin pine model from Northwoods Casket Co., will accommodate almost any budget or level of carpentry expertise.
The Somerset Willow Company in England employs traditional techniques to weave locally grown willow into handsome, customizable caskets for burial or cremation. These willow coffins are lined with natural cotton, and can accommodate an oak nameplate. They ship to North America.
The Bios Urn company aims to convert cemeteries into forests with its biodegradable urns, which are made of coconut shell, compacted peat and cellulose, and are designed to support the early growth of a tree. Bios Urn’s “life after life” model, available for both humans and pets, is compatible with nearly any kind of seed.
Many other routes exist to honor the Earth as well as the life you lived on it. The Green Burial Council certifies products, practices and places of rest. Whatever you decide, be sure to let your loved ones know of your decision, and define your wishes in your will. For more information on biodegradable coffins, DIY casket instructions, and planning natural burials, read Natural Burial: Build an Eco-friendly Coffin and Plan a Green Funeral.
Photo by Julie Zahn: Simple kits, such as that used to build this Wisconsin pine model from Northwoods Casket Company, will accommodate almost any budget or level of carpentry expertise.
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