By: Katie Saylors Going back to our roots, literally, is another way we can be more sustainable. We are constantly thinking about ways to make the Earth greener while we are here, but what about the afterlife?
“Green burial is by far, the more environmentally friendly option to either cremation or conventional burial,” said Tiffany Smith, a sustainability consultant and board member of the Western North Carolina Green Building Council.
Green burial refers to the process of being buried naturally in the earth, with little to no impact on the environment.
We’ve all seen the effects of global warming and are learning to be a more sustainable community, but there is little discussion on the environmental effects of being cremated or buried in a non-biodegradable metal casket.
“Some of the tenants of green burial are a biodegradable container, no chemicals (meaning no embalming), no vaults, and then planting the coffin in an area that can be reforested or regenerated in some way,” Smith said.
Smith said green burial is nothing new and has existed for centuries.
“In England it's called the woodland burial movement, because they are reforesting a lot of the land and here (in the U.S.) it's typically called natural burial or green burial.”
While the concrete and metal in vaults may seem natural to some, the manufacturing and transporting of vaults uses a tremendous amount of energy and causes enormous carbon emission. In the U.S., vault manufacturing requires the production of 1.6 tons of reinforced concrete, according to the Green Burial Council.
Currently, cremation is still the fastest-growing choice for Americans despite the detrimental effects on the environment, according to the National Funeral Directors Association.
Cremation may be on the rise, but it's important for people to know that it's not the greenest way to go.
“The biggest environmental impact right now is the rise of cremation rates among the baby boomers,” Smith said. “We have this big population boom and they have a different set of values than their parents and they're getting away from some of the traditionalism of the burials, so they're looking to be cremated.”
The perception among people that cremation is more environmentally friendly than burial is wrong, she said.
“There are four main toxins coming out of smokestacks and only two of them are regulated by the EPA,” Smith said. “The four main toxins are carbon monoxide, hydrochloric acid, mercury and dioxins. Mercury and dioxins are not regulated.”
Mercury comes from fillings in teeth and the dioxins come from burning things like prosthetic limbs that are made of plastic. Smith said these things could easily be pulled out before they are burned, but are not because there are no regulations in place.
“The rise in cremation is going to be detrimental to the air and water quality,” Smith said. “It's really important that our regulatory bodies create better policies and laws associated with crematory operations.”
As more sustainability jobs are created, lets hope more attention will be given to the green burial industry. Until then, we need to push the government to put regulations in place on cremation standards.
Beth Porter, a UNC Asheville environmental studies student, said green burial is pretty much essential.
“Our population rate is increasing so fast,” Porter said. “When there's more people on the planet, you also have more people leaving the planet and need to be buried in a way that is sustainable.”
Porter said when it comes to her end-of-life plans she will choose a green burial.
“I really like the bio-degradable box without the embalming, and instead of having a
traditional headstone, having a tree planted over my grave,” Porter said.
Let's face it, our bodies were meant to go back into the Earth when we die. As we make choices
to reduce our carbon footprint while living, why not make our final footprint as green as possible.
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