You’ve heard the saying, the only sure things in life are death and taxes, but what happens after death isn’t as certain any more. Families across the country are increasingly veering away from traditional funerals and burials towards greener, more personal options.
The bright, colorful leaves that captivate us now will soon fade, shrivel and fall to the ground. Turning to mulch by spring, fueling the growth of new, green leaves. It’s the circle of life.
Traditional burials in the United States operate differently. Less of a circle, more of a dead end. Studies reveal that every year 800,000 gallons of the toxic chemical formaldehyde, more than 2 billion tons of concrete and hundreds of millions of tons of non-biodegradable caskets are put into the ground with our loved ones. Preserving and protecting their bodies, but preventing anything else from growing…creating a permanent, empty space.
“That’s not so meaningful for people anymore. They’re looking for another way. something more in line with the way they live their lives, with driving hybrid cars and recycling,” says Merilynne Rush, an End-of-Life Advisor, D-I-Y Funeral and Green Burial Guide.
A study last year by the Funeral and Memorial Information Council says 64 percent of people 40 and older expressed interest in green burials, a 21 percent increase from data collected in 2010.
America's first green conservation burial ground, The Ramsey Creek Preserve in Westminster, South Carolina, was opened in 1998. Now there are more than 120 cemeteries across the U.S. that offer eco-friendly services. Some double as wildlife preserves, others are traditional cemeteries adding “green” burial sections.
Milan Cemetery is one of a handful in Michigan.
“They have this very large, conventional section, all of that is filled with concrete. And then you look over here, to this section which looks so much more natural and inviting. And it’s simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s not as honoring,” says Rush.
For a burial to be considered green, it must meet three requirements set by the Green Burial Council: the body cannot be preserved with traditional embalming fluid, man-made vaults are prohibited and only biodegradable burial containers or shrouds can be used.
“You return to the earth in a casket or burial shroud that allows you to decompose and return to the earth in a natural way,” says Leah Beier of Milan Vault Inc.
Milan Vault offers a number of green burial options from a simple biodegradable pine box to what’s called a burial shroud.
“Just simple cloth wrapped a couple times around you, and tied on the ends. And you’re lowered down,” says Beier.
Those options cost much less than traditional caskets, making death easier on your wallet and the environment, but green doesn’t always mean cheap.
“There are also hand woven units made in England by artisans, there’s units made from cane and rattan made in the Asian countries,” says Beier.
Green burial plot maintenance fees tend to cost more than standard plots.
“If you’re burying without that cement vault, the ground is going to sink in as everything decomposes, so you’re going to have to go back over and fill it in. And you don’t want to be running your heavy equipment, lawn mowers over a fresh grave. It’ll sink,” explains Rush.
A conventional funeral, including embalming, the casket, the cement vault, the plot averages between $8,000 and $10,000. Green burial can cost less than $1000.
More than potential savings, it’s the environmental impact and more personalized natural setting that appeals to Mary Goode and her husband of 35 years Woody Kellum. They live on a few dozen acres outside of Ann Arbor in a home where gave birth. With an expansive yard their 2 daughters grew up playing in, where last year Woody’s mother was laid to rest.
Beyond just a green burial, they wanted something more personal, more meaningful. They planned ahead and applied for county permits to legally bury Woody’s mother on their property. Family members dug the hole and carried her out after conducting funeral services in their home.
“Being in your own home is much more personal than being in an institutional home, a funeral home,” says Goode.
“Our generation is so removed from the natural process. I think us boomers are starting to reclaim the way it was done in earlier generations. I think, particularly death, there’s so much fear around it,” says Goode.
For the home funeral, dry ice was used instead of embalming fluids and someone was hired to help wash and prepare the body for viewing. A spiritual and special goodbye, in the comfort and familiarity of their own home.
“For us, this is where we live. It’s just part of the fabric of our family,” says Goode.
“From advance planning for the type of health care that you want, the desire to die at home, the desire to have natural death care is really growing! I think the baby boomers are really going to change how we handle death, funerals and burials in our country,” says Rush.
When it comes to home burials and DIY funerals, Michigan is one of the most restrictive states in the country. There is a lot of red tape and things to know. More information can be found here:
http://afterdeathhomecare.com/
Green Burials are much easier. The Preserve at All Saints Cemetery in Waterford specializes in these.
A growing number of other Michigan cemeteries are adding green burial sections.
