Tips For Making Sure Your Loved One's Funeral Is Green

If your loved one recently passed away and you know that they lived an environmentally friendly lifestyle before death, then you may want to honor them with a green funeral. Thankfully, there are many environmentally friendly options that you can choose from. Keep reading to learn about a few that you should consider.

No Embalming

Embalming fluid is a mixture of formaldehyde, methanol, glutaraldehyde and other solvents and humectants. Formaldehyde is a strong chemical that can easily seep into the environment after your loved one is buried. It has been known to cause cancer, and it can affect wildlife and waterways in a negative manner.

The good news is that you can skip the embalming fluid if you want to have a more green funeral. Embalming fluid is meant to preserve the body so it can be viewed before and during the funeral. So, if you skip the fluid, you may need to have a closed-casket event. Some funeral homes do have the option of storing the casket in a freezer so a viewing can occur, but you will likely only be able to have a single viewing.

You also have the option of picking a funeral home that uses natural and biodegradable embalming fluids. These products are made primarily with essential oils, and they may allow for a longer viewing than when the fluids are avoided entirely.

Minimal Caskets 

Most caskets are made with a variety of metals and woods and also contain fabrics, padding, and decorations. Many of the materials are man-made and not environmentally friendly. To reduce your carbon footprint, consider using a very simple and natural coffin. These coffins are ones that use low-impact materials that can be easily regrown and require very few resources.

Green caskets are ones made of hemp, bamboo, seagrass, wicker, cork and cardboard. The caskets can often be ordered online, or your funeral director can arrange for their delivery to the funeral home through a local vendor. Buying locally from someone who makes the caskets in your region is another thing that can help to ensure that the funeral is a green one. 

Green caskets are not covered with sealers or preservatives, so this further allows the casket to be one that is environmentally friendly. 

If you want to know more about green funerals and the types of things that you can choose to ensure that your loved one's funeral is environmentally friendly, contact funeral homes in your area.