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Different Shades of Green: Part 2: Green Burial Options

In last month’s article, I discussed the reasons people make the decision to choose a green burial. In this month’s follow-up article, I will discuss the options people have for different levels of green burial and some of the green burial products doulas should be aware of. At the end of the article is a list of resources that can help you explore green burial in more depth and will also be useful to the clients you serve. Some of those resources can help a family think through the green burial decision, plan what they want, and source the cemeteries and products they will need to make their after-death care the greenest shade of green.

Although green burial is becoming more popular, there are still relatively few green cemeteries in the U.S. According to the list of this type of cemetery researched and certified by the Green Burial Council, a national organization for the growing green burial industry, there are only 63 cemeteries in the country that permit some form of green burial. This is such a tiny fraction of the number of cemeteries in the country that it doesn’t even amount to one 1/1000 percent of the 110,000 cemeteries in the U.S. 

A couple of other online resources that list green cemeteries claim there are between 90 and 140 of them. Some of these may be small community cemeteries that have been in existence for over a hundred years and never used vaults for graves. Others may be religious burial grounds for the religions that don’t embalm, such as the Jewish and Muslim faiths, which also use simple pine boxes that are more biodegradable than lacquered hardwood caskets. But even 140 is quite a small number.

The Green Burial Council has created a system for identifying green cemeteries that breaks sites into three distinct categories: hybrid, natural, and conservation. A hybrid cemetery is a traditional cemetery with a section devoted to green burials of bodies that haven’t been embalmed. Bodies may be placed in graves that don’t require an outer cement or steel vault. In a hybrid section the caskets may also be made from other material than hardwoods or steel, such as untreated pine, cardboard, or wicker. In some hybrid cemeteries, a body can be buried in just a shroud, without a casket of any kind. 

Hybrid cemeteries are the most common kind of green burial sites. Of the 63 green cemeteries identified by the Green Burial Council, 30, or nearly half, are hybrid grounds. One of the reasons hybrid cemeteries are the most common is that they allow conventional burials in other areas of the cemetery. Thus, they don’t require that a burial be entirely green throughout the cemetery. In the other two types, natural and conservation, all the burials are required to conform to green standards. Most hybrid cemeteries are located on the two coasts—19 out of 30. The states with the most hybrids are Pennsylvania, California, New York, Oregon and North Carolina. Eleven other states scattered across the U.S. each have one hybrid cemetery.

Natural burial grounds allow only green burials. These cemeteries also have policies to minimize waste and conserve energy. They will, of course, not bury a body that has been embalmed, nor do they use burial vaults. Caskets must be biodegradable, and landscaping practices promote native vegetation. These cemeteries most often won’t allow grave markers, except perhaps a natural rock from the native environment placed on the grave site, which can be engraved. In natural burial grounds, it is likely that the body will be buried 3-4 feet under the surface rather than the customary 5-6 feet. The reason for burying a body in this shallower depth is that it allows greater oxygen flow and provides more organisms and bacteria that help produce a rapid and efficient decomposition process.

Natural burial grounds are the second most common type of green cemetery. Out of the 63 green cemeteries listed by the Green Burial Council, 23 are natural cemeteries. New York state has by far the most natural burial grounds with 6. Three other states, Michigan, Ohio, and Washington each have 2 natural cemeteries. All of the other 11 states with a natural cemetery have only 1 each. 

Definitely the greenest of the green cemeteries are the conservation burial grounds. These cemeteries have the same policies and restrictions as natural cemeteries, but they go one giant step further by making sure that the land used for the cemetery is permanently preserved in a natural state. This is often accomplished by collaborating with an independent conservation organization, such as a land trust “that is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a public charity and in business for at least five years,” according to the Green Burial Council. 

Conservation cemeteries don’t allow grave markers, so burial sites are typically located using GPS. The graves are hand dug whenever possible and no deeper than 4 feet for maximum decomposition. The dirt is separated into piles according to the natural layers of earth and replaced during the burial in the correct order for microbial breakdown.

The Green Burial Council lists only 6 conservation cemeteries in the U.S. Three of those cemeteries are in Ohio, one in Florida, one in North Carolina, and one in Washington state. In other online research I did, several more conservation cemeteries get named. But the total number across the U.S. is probably still less than one dozen. 

The first conservation cemetery, according to some sources, was Ramsey Creek Preserve in Westminster, South Carolina. It opened in 2006, after it worked with the nonprofit organization Upstate Forever, to permanently restrict management practices to ensure that the site will stay wild forever. So, you can see how recent this phenomenon of conservation cemeteries is in the U.S. 

Another example of a conservation cemetery is Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery (PCCC) near Gainesville, Florida. This cemetery collaborates with Alachua Conservation Trust, a long-standing conservation organization in Gainesville, to manage, protect and restore the land for all living things. The cemetery is a natural and wild space of flowering meadows and shaded stands of classic North Florida oaks that comprise 93 acres of land. There are hiking trails and footpaths through the preserved land, plus it borders on the 512-acre Prairie Creek Preserve and Paynes Prairie State Park, which has 21,000 acres of conserved land.

“Not only does conservation burial help protect land, but the burial area becomes hallowed ground, restored to its natural condition and protected forever with a conservation easement,” explains a representative of Prairie Creek. “Citizens who support conservation are offered a more meaningful burial option with the certainty that protected land is the ultimate legacy to leave for future generations,” the representative added.

The biggest challenge for people who want a green burial is finding a cemetery that caters to their wishes close enough for family and friends to visit. Freddie Johnson, the Executive Director of Conservation Burial, the organization that runs Prairie Creek says: “The biggest hurdle (to the increased use of green burial options) is getting the awareness of these choices and having choices in the proximity of where people are.”

Green burials aren’t only about the cemetery. Whether a loved one is being buried in a hybrid, natural, or conservation cemetery, green burial requires green caskets and possibly green shrouds. Green or eco-friendly caskets are made without glue or metal fasteners of any kind. They are made from durable materials, such as bamboo, willow, sea grass, twisted banana leaves, rattan, and even wool. Recycled cardboard caskets are another choice that also allows ease of decoration on the outside by family and friends. These caskets are beautiful and have a warmth in appearance that you typically don’t see in the hardwood or steel caskets used in traditional burials. 

To certify the manufacturer of a green casket, The Green Burial Council specifies that the production process can’t involve the release of toxic by-products in the facility where it is made. Further, the Council says that the materials used for the casket must be produced and harvested in environmentally sustainable ways or must be produced using reclaimed or recycled materials. One further stipulation is that the casket can’t be transported to the funeral home or the cemetery over a distance greater than 3,000 miles. 

Remember that the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule guarantees that a funeral home may not refuse or charge a fee for using a casket purchased elsewhere—including a casket people in the family of a dying person build by themselves. The Green Burial Council is a good resource for green burial products. They have approved 15 vendors and producers of green burial products with the standards mentioned above.

Shrouds, when used alone, are the most biodegradable product for rapid decomposition. Before 2004, all shrouds were religious in nature and a secular person could not use a shroud for environmental reasons in a traditional cemetery. Today there are companies that make exquisite shrouds with materials such as linen, silk, and cotton. I have seen shrouds that are embroidered, painted (with biodegradable paint), have natural objects sewed onto them, even with cloth handles for easy in lifting and carrying of a body. There are even specialty shrouds made for deep sea burials.

Probably the finest producer of shrouds is a California company named Kinkaraco. They are the one shroud manufacturer listed by the Green Burial Council. The first prototype shroud the company made, was purchased by the production company of Six Feet Under and debuted as a burial shroud on the show. Kinkaraco makes a variety of shrouds in exquisite colors or even pure white or black. They also make a lovely transparent cotton pocket that can hold poetry, religious verses, pictures, or a favorite food and be attached to the face of a shroud. Kinkaraco also makes a whole-body, deep-sea burial shroud, for people who want that form of burial.

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when planning a green burial. As a doula, you can play an active role in helping a dying person and family plan for this environmentally friendly approach to the after-death care of a body. The lightest shade of green would be simply not embalming the body, or choosing a more biodegradable casket. The purest shade of green would be burying a body in a biodegradable shroud directly in the ground of a conservation cemetery. There is a great deal more to learn about green burials. Use the resource list that follows this article to continue your education and acquire the knowledge you need to help your clients plan well for their vision of green burial.

—Henry Fersko-Weiss

RESOURCES

Everplans: An online site that lets a user set down a complete plan for everything family and friends would need to know if something happens to the person. It can include your will, life insurance policy, advance directive, online accounts, even letters to the family. All this information is encrypted and stored securely on Everplans’ platform. Access is given to the people a person wants to have it, but selectively as designated by the creator of the everplan. The website also provides recommendations, offers resources and has checklists to help you plan. The website is at: everplans.com.

Green Burial Council: An independent, nonprofit organization working to encourage environmentally sustainable death care and the use of burial as a new means of protecting natural areas. It establishes standards for funeral homes and cemeteries willing to offer eco-friendly death-care, as well as for manufacturers of green burial products and supplies. It has a certified list of green cemeteries of all three varieties on its website along with other resources. Its website is: greenburialcouncil.org  

Funeral Consumers Alliance: Nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting a consumer’s right to choose a meaningful, dignified, affordable funeral. It offers newsletters and pamphlets to increase awareness of funeral options, including how to care for your own dead without using a funeral home. It is also a consumer advocacy organization that promotes legal and regulatory reform. Their website is at: funerals.org.

Kinkaraco: This company was the first to manufacture green burial shrouds, starting in 2005. They are the only shroud manufacturer listed by the Green Burial Council. The website is at: kinkaraco.com

Memorials.com is an online source for all funeral and memorial needs. It boasts the largest selections available worldwide of memorials, urns, headstones, grave markers, caskets—including a wide selection of green caskets, keepsakes, statues, cremation art, pet urns, pet caskets and many other funeral related products. All their products are delivered free in the U.S. The website is memorials.com.

Midwest Green Burial Society: This is a regional nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring and expanding the practice of simple burials that serve to acquire and conserve natural areas while reducing the carbon emission, toxicity, and waste from conventional burials. It offers a Planning Guide, a Simple Burial Information Sheet with information on preparing, washing, anointing, and dressing a body among other things. It also provides a list of casket makers, shroud makers, and funeral guides. The website is at: midwestgreenburial.org

Natural Burial Company: Sells biodegradable coffins, caskets, urns, and natural funeral goods throughout the U.S. and into Canada. Their crafters come from all around the world, where the technique of making handwoven coffins has not yet been lost. They also have other resources, such as a Free Natural Funeral Planner. On its website, you can also link to The Natural End Map, which connects families with funeral directors, cemeteries, and service providers offering simpler, more natural end of life options. The website is at: naturalburialcompany.com.

New Hampshire Funeral Resource, Education & Advocacy (NHFREA): This organization’s goal is to empower individuals, families, friends, communities, and professionals to make funeral decisions based on knowledge, not fear or grief or by default. They provide information on home funerals, funeral directors who honor unique ideas, and advocate for change in municipal cemeteries, hospitals, and government laws and procedures. NHFREA is hosting its first annual gathering of end of life advocates and practitioners this year. It is tentatively scheduled for May 25 in Plymouth, NH. The organization website is: nhfuneral.org.

The Order of the Good Death: A group of funeral industry professionals, academics, and artists exploring ways to prepare a death phobic culture for their inevitable mortality. It showcases people at the forefront of changing the culture’s approach to death as part of the death positive movement. The website is located at: orderofthegooddeath.com

Pinterest: This website offers an incredible array of information and resources on green burial. There is a wonderful section devoted to caskets of all kinds and burial shrouds that includes patterns for five different shrouds. The website is at: pinterest.com.

SevenPonds: An online resource for those who wish to celebrate memory and personalize the end of life. It believes that cremation and natural burial are the new traditions. The website is: sevenponds.com

Shroud Mementos: This Australian company coordinates and supports a person or family in making a shroud between the time of death and the funeral service. The founder will offer ideas, coordinate with peoples’ ideas, give instructions on material and support the maker through completion if required. The company will also make shrouds for people. The website is at: funeralshrouds.com.au.

Vale Shrouds: This company is a shroud sewing service. It currently makes a “basket” shroud made from cotton/hemp with twill straps and wood ring closures. The fabrics and trimmings are all natural and up to green burial requirements. It is lined with cotton fleece and has straps for lifting and carrying the body. Its natural background puts the focus on flowers and mementos added by family and friends. It can also be personalized with quilts or other fabric from a family. Vale also makes a pet shroud. All the shrouds are sewn by the founder in a contemplative manner. It is possible in the future that the founder of Vale will hold classes for people to make their own shrouds. The website is at: valeshrouds.com.

This list of resources is by no means complete. There are a great many other wonderful and helpful green burial websites to explore, not to mention articles by mainstream media, podcasts, and videos.

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