Traditional Burial: Real talk and better alternatives

Welcome! 

Last week I discussed what a green home funeral guide is and ways they can help you save time, stress, and money while planning for your end-of-life care. This week we'll discuss traditional burials, how they are damaging the environment, and ways you can help prevent this. 

A brief history of American funerals: 

In the early 1900's, after the first world war and the industrialization of medicine, less people were dying in their homes and instead were in hospitals at the time of their death. Refrigeration wasn't widely available, so dignitaries and people who had to travel a long way before being buried were the first to experience the new process of chemical preservation by embalming. 

During the second world war, death became much more violent and embalming and reconstruction helped loved ones at home see their deceased soldiers as peacefully as possible during their memorial and funeral services. This is when embalming became more common place but is, in fact, not required in any state today. 

The chemicals used during the embalming process are toxic, many people who perform embalming have health issues, and these chemicals end up in our soil and water supply after they leech out of the buried remains. The process of embalming is not a gentle one, google will provide you with the depth of knowledge you desire on this topic. 

Step one, request not to be embalmed. Step two, tell all your friends to do the same! 

After the 1950’s when death became more common in the hospital instead of in the home, funeral homes opened to provide the family a place to hold a memorial service that looked just like the places that had been used for centuries before this time... the family home! Funeral directors assembled everything for the family and charged them a premium, usually based on how wealthy they were. 

Many laws have been created since this time to make sure funeral homes have guidelines about how much they can charge for certain services, but many have hidden fees. Read everything very carefully and ask for clarification and the general price list - details all charges for all goods and services. 

Modern burial practices: 

Today, you have options for how you would like your body to be treated after your death. Embalming is not required and can spread communicable diseases as well as toxic chemicals. Some funeral homes have a policy that a body must be embalmed for a viewing in their space (even though it isn't required by law). This process does nothing for the body that ice or refrigeration can’t do, it is for purely cosmetic purposes – which sometimes are necessary to have an open casket memorial. There are alternatives. 

If you die at home (like 70% of American's would like to) and your body is cleaned and iced or kept refrigerated, you can remain at home for days (or weeks) before your memorial service. This gives your family time to process your loss and grieve with your body that they might not have at a traditional funeral home where you pay for time in blocks. 

Containers for your body to be buried in depend on the cemetery location you've chosen. Do they require a vault to keep the ground level for mowing? Or can you be buried in a shroud? Natural burial practices recommend a natural fiber shroud, wicker (or other sturdy reed) casket, homemade casket, or other biodegradable container. 

Traditional caskets are full of toxins and hardware that doesn't break down into dirt after a reasonable amount of time. Why do you need all these things buried around you? You don't really. 

Will you have a headstone or commemorative tree, bush, or plant? How much are you willing to spend? 

The transportation to the cemetery, opening and closing the grave, and help filling out legal documentation are the only things the family technically needs help with for a burial. 

Alternatives to traditional burial: 

Natural or Green burial is a simplification of traditional burials. The body is not embalmed, the container is biodegradable, depth of burial is between three and six feet, and a small plaque or natural grave marker is used. Most states have at least one cemetery that has a section for these types of burials. 

Conservation burial helps to preserve land and feed the ecosystem with your body’s nutrients. Same as a natural burial, no embalming and the container must be biodegradable. There will be no headstone, only a GPS location of the grave site that may or may not be accessible depending on the stability of the surrounding ecosystem. 

Burial at sea is another alternative. You must work with the Environmental Protection Agency at least thirty days prior to the burial. You'll also need to find a boat rental service that will take you out for a burial at least three nautical miles over a depth of at least 600 feet (depth not required if only scattering ashes). Everything must be biodegradable. 

I should mention that the less that’s buried with you, the less expensive your burial costs will be! Traditional burials can cost upwards of $10,000, natural burials with no bells and whistles can be as little as the cost of the plot and a service to open and close it: $3,000 or less. 

Keep an eye out next week for information on fire cremation and why burial is actually more earth friendly! I'll share a few other options for disposition as well, so you can make well informed choices and research their availability in your area. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to work with me one on one to plan the end of your life. 

Love and Light, 

Christine