Go Green! We hear this all the time. Now more than a trend and as a response to an ever-growing need to be eco-conscious, the green movement has become a centerpiece of discussion in our society in everyday life.
But what about in death? How green are our current burial practices?
If you’re lucky like myself, you don’t have a lot of firsthand experience with death (knock on wood!) So, if you’re like me, the first thing we need to do to answer this question is to look at what all actually goes into the burial process.
There are many choices on how to dispose of remains that all come with their own set of ecological impacts, but for our purposes, we are going to focus on burial specifically.
First, there is the embalming process. The body is disinfected. The extremities are massaged to loosen them up. The eyelids are secured shut either using glue or plastic inserts. The lower jaw is set using either wires or sewing.
After the positioning of the corpse, the blood is then removed from the veins and replaced with embalming fluid, a potent chemical solution. All of the internal organs are punctured in order to release any gas or liquid. They are also injected with the embalming solution.
Once the chemicals are in place, the face of the corpse is then made more acceptable for viewing using makeup. The body will be dressed in clothing and accessories as chosen by the family. The body is placed in a casket, which can be made of metal, wood or fiberglass. This ends the process before the funeral service.
Regardless of personal experience, we are a little more familiar with this part. The family stands around crying. The priest is praying, maybe. The casket is lowered down into a hole in the ground. Later, a headstone will be placed to mark the burial. Everyone disperses to drink wine, eat cheese, and leave the grieving family with many casseroles that taste like sadness.
What is in embalming fluid that is so toxic?
Formaldehyde. Phenol. Methanol. Glycerin. All of which are either carcinogens or will irritate or burn you if it comes in contact with your eyes, nose, throat, skin or lungs.
The workers who prepare the bodies are exposed to these harmful chemicals first, and then it gets into our soil. Almost 3 million people died in 2019. Thankfully, they didn’t all choose burial as their disposal method. However, it is still estimated that more than 800,000 gallons of those chemicals are released into the earth each year due to our burial practices.
Then, we have the plastic fibers in clothing and accessories we dress the dead in and other trinkets we might throw along with them. They don’t need these belongings, but nevertheless, we litter the planet with more plastic.
At first glance, the caskets don’t seem like a big deal, right? Wrong. The wood caskets used every year are made from millions of acres of trees. We could use this wood for more important tasks, like building homes. Or, hey, we could not cut down the trees at all and keep our ecosystems in tact and our air clean.
Let’s go deeper now into maintenance. It isn’t enough to preserve our loved ones and say goodbye. We keep going back to see them. And since some people choose to revisit their buried friend or family member anywhere from every couple of hours to every day to once a week or once a year, it creates a need for a well-maintained yard containing the bodies.
Gallons of water and more chemicals are needed for this upkeep. Again, the chemicals used for landscaping are usually toxic and can harm our water supply and wildlife. Not to mention all the land space that’s taken up just filled with dead bodies. What better ways can you think of to use the 1 million acres at least of cemetery lands?
We know plastic is a problem. We know deforestation is an issue. We know protecting our planet, wildlife and water supply is more important than ever. Not just in the United States, but all over the world.
When it comes to the dead, our convictions should not be tossed aside or ignored just because this is the traditional way. Like many old traditions, it will take some time to phase out the norm. We need to find new ways to honor them while keeping in mind the facts we know now. We need to be mindful of our impact on the planet.
And if going green isn’t really your thing, think about this: The average funeral costs almost $7500. And the funeral industry is not shy about trying to get you to upgrade or purchase add-ons. Like every other material industry, we are pressured and feel the need to keep up with the Joneses. We need the best casket and the best outfit and the best headstone for the best spot in the cemetery. I don’t know about you, but if I needed to respect the wishes of a relative tomorrow, I simply wouldn’t be able to afford it.
I think it is important to honor and respect our relatives and dear friends, remember and memorialize them. We should do it in a way that doesn’t cause a family to go into debt, another struggle to add to losing someone dear.
How can we start to change our ideas surrounding death and burial?
It starts with conversations and awareness. It is amazing that in 2021, talking about death is still considered taboo or impolite conversation. It is my opinion that if we can have more honest conversations about death, we could have a more unified understanding of something I believe is at the very center:
Our living bodies and our material belongings will not be joining us on the other side.
For those of us who believe in something more than you live-you die, our souls should be the focus of our passing. Making sure that our soul is pure, making sure what we leave behind is not chemicals and jewels in a casket made from the forests, but instead we should leave behind a positive legacy of memories that inspires others to truly live and appreciate what time has been gifted to them.
When we understand this and we focus on our souls, the state of our physical being becomes a non-issue and we can embrace cheaper, more eco-friendly ways to say goodbye.
I will leave you with this thought: How can our new funerary traditions and celebrations become sources of happiness, inspiration and ecological responsibility?
I would love to hear your thoughts so don’t forget to comment!
The Telltale Bones 