An increasing number of individuals are concerned about their environmental impact and aim to reduce it wherever possible. It’s, therefore, no surprise that green funerals are becoming more common; if you’re aiming to live a life with the environment in mind, why wouldn’t you want to showcase this at your funeral?
If you’re wondering what a green funeral is and how it’s different from a normal funeral, you’re in the right place! This article will look into what a green funeral is, how much they usually cost, and other ways you can make a funeral more eco-friendly.
What is a green funeral?
Let’s start with the basics. Green funerals, also known as eco-funerals or natural burials, are essentially funerals that aim to have a minimal impact on the environment. There is a range of eco-friendly alternatives available nowadays to the usual materials and processes used in a traditional funeral to provide options for all.
These different options also allow individuals to create a much more sustainable funeral at every stage. This means people can choose to have a mix of traditional and eco-friendly aspects to their funeral.
Green funerals can take place in natural outdoor surroundings which are usually very beautiful, peaceful, and the perfect surroundings to say goodbye to a loved one.
Embalming and cremation
Embalming, the preservation of a body, is usually avoided in a green funeral, but every burial site will have its own guidance on the process. You can discuss with the funeral directors about what they advise you to do.
Cremation is very common, but the process releases a large amount of CO2 into the atmosphere making it not very friendly for the environment. Instead, people who want to opt for a green funeral could choose to have a green burial.
Specifically, green burials are funerals that aim to have the least amount of environmental impact possible. This includes avoiding embalming and cremation, using a biodegradable coffin instead. These funerals can take place at a green burial site or a designated area of a cemetery.
Eco-friendly coffins
Natural coffins made from sustainable materials or recycled cardboard are an option for those wanting a more eco-friendly funeral. There is a range of designs, styles, and materials available, all of which offer a much softer and calmer aesthetic to the usual wooden coffin.
You can opt for bamboo, cardboard, willow, banana, and more for your coffin material, all of which can have colour options to give a personalised look to your coffin. These biodegradable options are perfect for a green funeral so speak with your funeral director to see what types of eco-friendly coffins they have available.
Green funeral costs
People usually expect green funerals to cost a lot more than a traditional funeral, but this isn’t always the case. In fact, green funerals can sometimes work out cheaper than normal funerals.
With so many different options available, you can easily go green at your funeral without the costs adding up.
Prices can vary due to location and whether you decide to go for a coffin or not. They can start from around a few hundred pounds and can go up to a thousand. Get in touch with your funeral directors to see the prices they offer.
More ways to go green
If you’d like some more ideas on how to go green when planning a funeral, we have a few more up our sleeve…
- Keep it as local as possible to reduce the need for guests to travel.
- Ask for donations to an environmental charity instead of gifts such as flowers.
- Help preserve and protect the marine environment by turning ashes into ‘reef balls’.
- If guests want to bring flowers, encourage them to pick their own instead of buying ones wrapped in plastic.
- Plant a memorial tree instead of getting a headstone.
Green is the new black
Planning a funeral is never going to be a fun task but knowing that you’ve done your bit for the environment by having a green funeral can help give you peace of mind. There are tons of natural burial grounds available, making it even easier to arrange a green funeral for yourself or a loved one.
