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Green Funeral Advice

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Find out about green burial:

  • Why to choose green burial
  • How to arrange or plan a green funeral
  • How green is the funeral you are planning
  • What types of coffins are available

You will find answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs)

This table, developed by Green Funeral guru, Ken West, helps to weigh-up environmental issues associated with many aspects of modern funerals; the higher your score, the greener you are: -

Less environmentally friendlyLess sustainable and more intensive More environmentally friendlyMore sustainable and less intensive

 
-10 -5 +5 +10 SCORE
Using formaldehyde base Using seaweed extract (still requires the unacceptable disposal of 4 litres of blood down the public sewer) EMBALMING (often called hygienic treatment) No embalming, body refrigeration over 5 days No embalming and body refrigeration up to 5 days
American casket/coffin made of rainforest timber or metal Conventional i.e in chipboard/mdf with plastic handles, etc. CHOICE OF COFFIN In cardboard, bamboo or other non locally produced material?? In locally made wicker papier-mache, wood from sustainable source, FSC certified, etc.  
Air freighted flowers in plastic frames with oasis Air freighted flowers with recyclable frames & all green material composted FLORAL TRIBUTES Locally produced flowers in recyclable frames & with all green material composted No wreaths and/or money donated to charity or use of garden flowers with no frames & all green material composted
  Deep burial/ or in clay or peat soils or within the water table creating anaerobic conditions & potential for water pollution and/or methane emissions BURIAL Burial in re-used or reclaimed grave. Burial in natural burial site where grass is intensively mown Burial in natural burial site that accords with best practice e.g biannual mowing
Same day cremation in conventional chipboard/mdf coffin resulting in maximum emissions Emissions reduced 50% by using eco coffin/waste metal recycled CREMATION No score as cremation not sustainable in view of proven harmful emissions of mercury,  furans, dioxins, etc.  
Conventional cremation with inefficient cremator Cremation with staffing shifts & coffins held up to 48 hours to reduce fuel consumption FINITE ENERGY USE ON DISPOSAL OF BODY Burial using mini-digger Burial where grave is hand dug
Funeral over 20 miles from home Funeral within 20 miles of home ROAD MILES ON FUNERAL Funeral within 10 miles of home Funeral within 5 miles of home
In stone cut & shipped from India or other foreign source In stone from UK source MEMORIAL In recycled stone (old memorial?) or wood from sustainable source No memorial, or made of paper, vellum, leather, etc. or in electronic form
Visits +300 times p.a. to leave air freighted flowers, plastic pots, peat, etc. Regular visitor, say 150 times p.a. to leave air freighted flowers, plastic pots, peat, etc. GRIEVING WASTE Infrequent visits to site, say 6 times each year with uk grown flowers and other green products Low or no visits to site after a bereavement
Visits +300 times per year Regular visitor, say 150 times each year GRIEVING ROAD MILES Infrequent visits, say 6 times each year No subsequent visits to site or always walks to site.  
Intensive mowing and high level of horticultural? operations, bedding, no conservation areas Less intensive with some conservation& native planting, etc. SITE MANAGEMENT Some conservation, tree planting and limited intensive mowing Site managed under ecological management plan, no chipboard/mdf or embalming chemicals, or herbicides, etc.
TOTAL:

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