04/23/08 Green Burial

You knew it was inevitable, that they would somehow find a way to make even your leaving this world a step towards the "green" thing to do. Never mind that the whole process in the end is about as "organic" as we are all ever going to get! I do have to admit a rather strange curiosity in checking out the "How to Green Your Funeral" guide. Did you know there are actually "green" casket suppliers out there? Ecoffins, USA are makers of biodegradable coffins made from willow, banana, bamboo, jute and other materials. They also offer urns that have been impregnated with tree seed to make sure of the "return to nature" cycle. A "green" funeral, one minus the embalming and concrete vaults, isn't a new idea, it's just being revisited. In the United States up until around the time of the Civil War, when embalming became popular, green was the only way to go. The present day concept of a "green" burial began in the UK in 1993 and there are now several organic burial grounds in the UK and the U.S. And really, when you think about it, perhaps choosing a "green" burial is the most natural thing to do.