GREEN BURIAL (NATURAL) – DUST TO DUST
Green burial is a way of returning a body as naturally as possible to the earth. A growing number of environmentally conscious people are considering more sustainable options when planning for their deaths or for the loss of their loved ones. As an alternative to conventional burial and cremation, conservation burial conserves and restores native ecosystems through a return to natural burial methods. It’s a natural lifecycle progression, which bears no resemblance to a conventional cemetery site; instead, it is a sanctuary of natural beauty. Green burials are low impact, reducing energy & resource consumption, are less toxic, reduce carbon emissions, protect worker health and restore or preserve habitat and may include local, sustainable materials.
The body is not cremated, embalmed or buried in toxic concrete grave vault. Embalming delays decomposition, without formaldehyde to preserve the body, toxic chemicals are avoided, reducing harmful exposure both to nature and the embalmer. Instead, bodies are wrapped in a non-toxic and biodegradable materials, such as caskets, shrouds, and urns. The grave site is allowed to return to nature. The goal is complete decomposition of the body and its natural return to the soil. Protected green space becomes the final resting place. Additionally green burial ensures the land cannot be used for any other purpose therefore protecting these wild spaces from becoming a subdivision or other business development.