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Taking Into Consideration a Green Burial Option

A growing number of people are considering a green burial instead of a traditional cemetery. A green burial — or Eco-friendly burial option — can give us a ‘second life’ through nature and offers a living memorial of loved ones.

This is a final way to be able to give back after death — a remarkable way to honor our lives.  And with green burials, we could help the Earth grow after we have died.green burial option

Green Burial

Green burial is a way to honor the dead with negligible environmental impact.  This type of burial is also known as natural burial.  In addition, a green burial aids with reducing our carbon emissions and conserving our natural resources. It also and uses biodegradable materials and helps the habitat thrive.

For a cemetery to be GBC certified it requires its operators to commit to a certain standard for green funerals. It prevents future owners from going against these standards and promises. In addition, this helps the ecosystem continue to grow.

Eco-Friendly Burial Options

The following are a few green burial options to consider.

The Bios Urn is a modern funerary urn that enables people to grow trees with the ashes of loved ones. The company recently marked their public launch and they’ve already received hundreds of orders, showing that many people search for an alternative to the toxic burial industry.

The Bios Urn is 100 percent biodegradable.  This option turns human or pet ashes into a tree. You get to pick the tree you want to be. The current options are maple, beech, ginkgo, and pine.

The way it works is you place the ashes in the tree urn, which has a soil mix above it.  The seed is in the soil mixture and the tree begins growing slowly and uses the ashes as nourishment. This urn can be purchased for $150.00 at any time and have on hand for your loved ones when you pass.

You can also use the urn for ashes you already have at home.

This short video shows the Bio Urn in more detail.

Capsula Mundi

Capsula Mundi is a cultural and broad-based project, which visualizes a different approach to the way we think about death.

It’s an egg-shaped pod, an ancient and perfect form, made of 100 percent biodegradable material, where our departed loved ones are placed for burial. Ashes are held in small egg-shaped urns while bodies will be laid down in a fetal position in larger pods.

Then, the Capsula is buried as a seed in the earth. A tree of your choice is later planted on top of it and serves as a memorial for the departed.  Family and friends will continue to care for the tree as it grows. Cemeteries will acquire a new look and, instead of the cold grey landscape we see today, they will grow into vibrant woodlands.

The deceased remains are used as nutrients for a tree. The pod is made of starch-based plastic and is buried in the ground with a seed or young tree planted above it. The roots grow downwards using the pod and the deceased’s body as nutrients to thrive.

You can choose the tree you’d like.  However, the trees must be planted in a sacred forest so you don’t have the ability to plant it anywhere you want like you can with the Bios Urn.

Poetree Burial Planter

Poetree is a ceramic ring with a cork receptacle for ashes and an opening on top for a tree to sprout from. The Poetree is an interesting hybrid between burial and cremation. It’s an urn and a memorial marker at the same time.

The remains are placed in a container made from cork. A cork stopper is removed to make room for a small boxwood tree. The sapling is placed outside in its biodegradable pot, surrounded by the ceramic ring with the deceased’s inscription.

The Poetree is placed in the ground when the tree is mature enough. This allows the cork vessel to break down into the soil while the ceramic ring provides a living marker for the deceased – who is also now a part of the tree.

The sustainable memorial is a marker of their passing but also a gentle reminder of the cycle of life.poetree burial

Cremation and natural burials are becoming more popular due to the sensitive way they return bodies to the earth. A natural or green burial is as much for the living as it is for the one who chooses the option. It is the final statement in one’s life.


About the author: George Zapo is certified in Public Health Promotion and Education (Kent State University). George provides informative articles promoting healthy behavior and lifestyles.

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