Did you know that 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid get used in America every year? Unfortunately, this embalming fluid leaches formaldehyde and other chemicals into the soil.
As the world becomes more eco-conscious, people are realizing how traditional burial impacts the earth. The last thing you’d want is to hurt the earth after you pass on.
Fortunately, there are several different types of burials that are natural and eco-friendly. If you’re looking into alternative burial options, you’ve come to the right place!
Read on to find out more.
Mushroom Burial Suit
One trend that’s becoming popular is the mushroom burial suit. The burial suit resembles full-body pajamas, but they’re filled with mushroom spores.
Once a body is in the suit, it’s buried and the mushrooms begin to do their work. They help with decomposition and neutralize any toxic byproducts made by the body.
Then, the mushroom spores help transfer nutrients to plant life and aid a natural green cycle. These mushroom suits are available for humans and pets.
Green Burial
If you want a traditional burial but with an eco-friendly twist, you should look into the green burial.
In a green burial, no embalming fluids get used as they leach into the earth. Instead, the body is stored through refrigeration. Next, they’re wrapped in clothes that biodegrade naturally, and placed in simple caskets made of softwood (no metal, varnish, or glue).
After the burial, you can plant trees and other plants onto of the body to help it biodegrade. Many sites actually prohibit visitation to individual graves to help the ecosystem thrive.
Burial pods are a similar concept to the mushroom suit, except it uses an egg-shaped burial container. Bodies are placed in the fetal position, and burial services happen as usual.
After the burial, the pod biodegrades naturally. A tree is usually planted on top of the pod.
Muslim or Jewish Burial
Finally, if you’re Muslim or Jewish, did you realize that your traditional burials are already eco-conscious?
Instead of embalming, a body is preserved through refrigeration and then dressed in biodegradable cotton fabrics. Then, caskets are made from soft pine or poplar timber (with no glue or metal parts).
A liner helps to support the weight of the soil, but it’s made from biodegradable materials. That way, the body, clothing, and casket all degrade at the same rate, and eventually, nothing is left.
Choose an Eco-Friendly Burial
There are loads of eco-conscious burial options available. If you want to do your part for the environment after death, you should choose one of these types of natural burial.
Make sure to make your wishes known before you pass on and research your options. Why not also look into green cremation options or a burial at sea? The possibilities are endless.
Did you find this article helpful? If so, check out our other posts for all things life, death, and everything in-between.
