Burial, cremation... or go 'green'?
Posted on : Feb 16, 2023
Burial, cremation... or go 'green'?
Gone are the days of simply just choosing between a plain wooden casket and ending up in an urn. Below we simply cover some available options which have become more popular recently.
Burial is considered the “traditional” option. You can choose to bury at a cemetery, or on private property, however there may be some legal restrictions or downsides to consider. Burial in a cemetery provides a place where the family can visit, and a graveside funeral can prove very comforting for family and friends, however generally speaking burial does cost more than cremation. It’s also worth keeping in mind that burial needs to be done in a relatively short amount of time. Places like ‘Dying Art’ supply personalised options for casket creation. It can be comforting to know that you’re saying the final farewell to someone when they’ve gone in a box that represents their passion - think a casket in the shape of a racing car, or a chocolate bar! Remember, the casket is the very last thing that you see of your loved one. Try to make it memorable.
Cremation provides a nice variety of options for how the body is dispersed, for example, family members can each take a small portion to keep or scatter. The practicality of this option allows for remains to be planted with a tree, or kept close by on a mantel, and with cremation you can still choose just about all of the options offered by a funeral home. The advantage of choosing cremation is that you’ll find it costs less than a traditional burial, plus you’ll have more options in regards to move, divide and scatter or even just keep the remains. You’ll find urns are available for a much lower cost than caskets too. If you'd like to get really creative, you'll find overseas countries can offer all sorts of fascinating way to 'redistribute' human ashes. These ideas include putting them into a vinyl record, memorial jewellery, as part of a diamond, in tattoo ink or in a memorial firework display - amongst others!
Go green and consider the environment. As we move forward some people might also like to ‘go green’ as they exit. You could consider looking into some less traditional eco-funeral options. These can reduce your carbon footprint while also leaving behind a lasting benefit to the environment. Some choices are:
‘Alkaline hydrolysis’ - also known as water cremation. It involves soaking the body inside a special chamber until it dissolves into liquid
‘Biodegradable urns’ - made of fully recyclable materials it can be filled with seeds which will sprout into a tree when planted.
‘Organic ash mixtures’ - mixing remains with organic compounds that balance the pH level and release friendly microbial bacteria back into the earth when scattered.
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