“It comes to the point where how many bodies can you actually store in boxes in a field,” said Scott Kupi. Although the quote may seem strange and conjure up the sense of a murderer talking about his mass grave, Scott is actually talking about his views on traditional funerals which, “are just way too old fashion.” You may also be picturing Scott as an older man, conveying his frustrations about an imminent death. At the age of 21 however, Scott is hopefully far of from his departure from the living world. He believes though, it is never too late to begin thinking about how he can carry on his environmentally conscious way of living, even when he is not alive.
Scott has been environmentally aware throughout much of his life. He keeps his
morning showers short, never takes a plastic bag from a store when making a purchase,
will rescue litter from the ground and dispose of it properly, and has decked out his home and office with energy efficient light bulbs. There are many people like Scott, however he has taken green approach one step further. Scott has even started thinking about being buried in a biodegradable coffin. “Sure a regular casket looks nice, but what good is it? You spend all that money and before you know it, the casket is buried underground to rot away and pollute the soil with varnishes and lacquers,” he said. Although still in their early stages in Canada, the new trend of green funerals has already began sweeping through the United Kingdom.
There are many different options when it comes to an environmentally friendly funeral ceremony. Each type ranges in the amount of steps being taken to ensure the burial or cremation has very little effect on the environment. The basic green funeral will be similar to a traditional funeral, yet a coffin made from all natural materials will be used. This allows the coffin to easily decompose in the soil instead of having the harmful lacquers and finishes found in most caskets. Even the inside bedding of an environmentally sound coffin is created, generally from 100% cotton to leave little or no remains when the body and coffin decompose. These coffins have been created to be competitive in the pricing market with little or no mark-up from a regular casket and will cost anywhere from $300-$2000. “People think these coffins will not look as nice, but in some cases they may look even nicer than a regular casket,” said Daniela Bernardyn, an associate at the Casket Store in Toronto. She has been selling caskets for over ten years and although there hasn’t been too many people asking about them at the moment, she feels this will eventually change. “We don’t offer too much right now, but there are different types available.” A green funeral’s cost will not exceed the price of a regular funeral. The only real difference comes in the type of casket used. The family then has the ability to spend as much as they want on receptions or other burial arrangements.
The highest degree of a green funeral will have a coffin resembling only an elongated cardboard box and is the cheapest type of green coffin. There is also a Kent Casket which is made from unfinished pine and uses rope handles which biodegrade much easier and quicker than metal handles. The newest and definitely most unique type of environmentally sound casket is the eco-pod. It emulates something similar to a small Egyptian sarcophagus. They are lightweight and come in a number of colours and patterns with an outer shell made from 100% recycled paper which won’t pollute the earths atmosphere in anyway. Two handles are attached to the side of the coffin and are nothing more than pieces of rope.
For someone that would like to leave no footprint on the world when they leave will usually request to be buried with no markings. This means the body will be buried without a headstone. The visitors will usually use a tree or another natural land mark to find the place where the remains are buried. This can only be done on plots of land dedicated to green funerals which may be lacking in the country at the moment, but are not far off from becoming a common practice.
There are even options to have a green funeral with a cremation. In Canada alone approximately 35% of the deceased are cremated. Specific rates across the map range from a 15% cremation rate in Prince Edward Island to a 90% rate in British Columbia. If there is one person that would have a plethora of information concerning these rates and funerals in general, it would be Doug Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy is currently the Director of Operations for Turner-Porter Funeral Homes Limited. “The whole concept of green funerals is in it’s relative infancy. It started about 1985, 1990, when there was a concern when a cremation occurred, what was being released into the atmosphere.” While cremations will take up less space than a casket and less of a threat to the soil, there is still the concern of the toxic material being released into the atmosphere. When a person is cremated, the body is not the only thing being burned. The body being cremated will be placed in a combustible container which has raised concerns as to what the container is made of and what it emits when burned. Whether it is cardboard or wood held together with glue, it is giving off some toxins not to mention the energy and fuels it takes to power the ovens. Mr. Kennedy, also the past president of the of Ontario Funeral Services Association for Funeral Homes said “that has given momentum to a green cremation as well where we don’t use smoke stacks and fire, but we can actually use an alkaline hydrolysis to reduce the remains to its basic elements.”
So whether green funeral takes form as a burial or cremation, there are ways a person can ensure they will not be harming the environment when they bid farewell to the living world. Although Doug has not seen too many green funerals in his career, he does feel they will become popular among the public. “I can see in the next 10 years there will be green cremation and green burials. There is an interest in it, both from the public perspective and certainly from those in the profession to provide that and as soon as the logistics of it are worked out, I don’t see what would prevent it.”
Nick Larter, also in the funeral industry as a manager at Sherrin Funeral Homes agrees with Mr. Kennedy when he speaks of the environmentally friendly funerals becoming more popular. “Right now, in 2008, I don’t know, it would probably take another 10 years,” said Mr. Larter. “We have people that want to have environmentally friendly funerals and they are likely to purchase caskets and containers that don’t have the polishes and lacquers on them and less metal. The decomposition would then be as natural as possible without any inhibiting aids.” He continued by saying “I do believe down the road there will probably will be more of a call for a green funeral only because of the fact that people are becoming more environmentally astute.”
It seems as if Scott may be one of the few right now that have given any thought as to ways to preserve the earth even when he leaves. “The earth has given me so much. It’s only fair that I give back to it.” As of now, he will not have too many options to choose a green cemetery. Currently, the only one is Canada is in Guelph. This cemetery gives the deceased a chance to be buried in a biodegradable coffin and buried in an unmarked piece of land.
If the predictions by Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Larter are accurate however, Scott will have many more options for a green burial in the future. “I think it may make it easier for families knowing that their loved one is giving back to the planet. Death is a difficult thing to deal with and any positive spin on it can make it easier to accept,” said Scott with an encouraging smile.
Kermit the Frog said it best while performing his song, “It’s Not Easy Being Green.” The context Kermit spoke about being green was more about him being unique to the world around him rather than the more predominant term of being environmentally green. There are many that find living an environmentally conscious lifestyle to be a chore while others are proud to live and protect the environment. Having a green funeral is neither a chore, nor is it more expensive than a traditional funeral. It is a way to thank the planet for many years of residence and to leave an eco-friendly place for our predecessors. According to the Natural Burial Association, an ecologically friendly burial is a way to allow “people who have loved nature to rest in nature. And those who have fought to help save the earth's health can know that their deaths are helping to preserve and create an ecological oasis.”
If having a green funeral is an avenue you would consider for yourself, it is important to relay your wishes to you loved ones so they can make the necessary arrangements. Funeral directors will also have information on these types of burials including all the options that are available to those that wish to be buried in an environmentally friendly setting.
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