Comparing Traditional Burial to Green Burial

It has become more and more obvious how important it is for us to make responsible decisions when it comes to our impact on the environment. For instance, many people do their best to recycle, while others are trying to reduce their plastic usage overall. The shift toward electric vehicles is another step in that direction. Did you know that you can use green practices even when it comes to your final arrangements? At your funeral home near Dale City, VA, you can find out about what kind of options are available for a “greener” burial.

One of the main things you can do is to choose a casket or shroud that is made to biodegrade after it has been buried. These are often made from untreated wood or a material like silk or cotton. These will allow your loved one’s body to return to the earth naturally, and it also allows you to avoid using materials that have been treated with harmful chemicals. You can also find out if it’s possible to be buried without a concrete vault. Typically, in cemeteries, vaults are used to encase the casket during burial. The vault also serves to maintain the integrity of the ground, keeping the appearance of the cemetery lands flat and even. Many places will not allow you to forgo the vault, but some will. The benefit to not having a vault is that you or your loved one’s remains will be immediately exposed to the soil, and will break down more quickly and naturally.

Another option that might not be for everyone, but that can contribute to the health of the planet, is to use a natural gravestone marker. For instance, you might have a tree or decorative shrub planted above where the person has been buried. You could even plant a native wildflower patch, which can greatly contribute to and improve local ecosystems. These natural markers provide a long-lasting memorial to the person who is buried there, and they offer a place for family and friends to visit when they want to remember their loved one.

One last way to make your final arrangements more environmentally friendly is to avoid the embalming process. This process uses toxic substances like formaldehyde, and these chemicals are able to enter the earth after burial. You can choose not to hold a viewing so as to avoid the necessity of these preservation techniques. If you’d like to have a final goodbye for immediate family, you can utilize more eco-friendly processes like refrigeration. The timeline may be different depending on how you choose to go about it.

These are all great ways to make your final burial arrangements as environmentally friendly as possible. It’s important to be sure that we are making responsible decisions when it comes to our planet, and this is one way that that is possible. As your funeral home near dale City, VA, you can find out more information about what kinds of green services they offer. That way, you and your family can feel at peace knowing you have minimized your environmental footprint, even after your passing.