Green burials
/ Courtesy: NBC News
Some funeral homes have new options that make the transition to the good earth a little easier, and it can save money and the environment.
Dig around long enough and you'll uncover that giving a body back to the earth in its purest form is really not new at all. "It goes back especially within the Jewish tradition and they do green burials on a regular basis because of their religious beliefs," said Keith Riddle, a Funeral Home Director.
But J. Henry Stuhr Funeral Chapels and Crematories offer a truly green burial to anyone who sees the end of life as an opportunity to give something. "...Folks they are choosing it now as a more eco-friendly, eco-aware option..." Riddle said.
When it's time to say so long, instead of polished wood and slabs of concrete that go under the earth, Sturhs offers three different options to help you become a part of the earth even faster. "This particular unit is the trundle board. It basically is a pine board bottom with a shroud on the top. The person would be wrapped in the shroud. We offer a variety of urns that are completely biodegradable. This particular one is made out of a paper product. A lot of folks choose to use that with magic markers and they will write a note to the individual," Riddle said.
If the person still prefers the comforts of a casket, there is a moses basket, cloth and pillow option which are completely biodegradable.
Riddle says even when it comes to the bigger end, location still matters. "People will come in when they talk to me about it, they are talking about 'I don't necessarily want to use up a cemetery space, I don't want to use up good real estate as they say it," he said.
In the end, some will do no harm and quickly give back to the earth that has given so much to them. "It's really returning to what we did several hundred years ago where the family did everything and the person was buried on their home property," Riddle said.
Would you opt for a green burial or do you prefer a traditional casket? When should you start planning for these things? Leave your thoughts below.
Information courtesy of NBC News.
