Green Goodbyes: Top Reasons Why More Eco-Conscious Families Are Now Choosing Environmental Burials 

 

It’s become increasingly more apparent throughout recent years how countless families all throughout the United States are now approaching end-of-life planning and care in ways that differ from the recent past.

Mindfulness and wellness are now major aspects for these types of investment decisions, and the results have developed a growing movement toward environmental burials. We recently got in touch with the environmental burial specialists in Yellow Springs, Ohio at Jackson Lytle & Lewis to figure out what these burials actually are, and why they’re currently growing in popularity.

So, check out the below sections to learn more about how these eco-conscious alternatives are revolutionizing the entire funeral industry in ways that allow for more honorable goodbyes!

 

The Hidden Costs Associated With Traditional Burials

Although conventional burial practices are very familiar to most people, a lot of people don’t realize just how heavy of a toll they take on the planet.

The vast majority of embalming fluids are comprised of toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, which is known to contaminate groundwater and soil integrity near cemeteries. Concrete vaults, steel caskets and manicured lawncare also increase resource consumption and environmental degradation at traditional cemeteries as well.

Even traditional cremation services are known to release a tremendous amount of particulate matter and carbon emissions into the atmosphere, and according to the Green Burial Council, just one cremation is equivalent to around a 500-mile car ride. This is why it’s perfectly normal for eco-conscious families to feel as though these traditional end-of-life options simply don’t align with their longheld values.

And this is exactly where environmental burials come in to offer something more responsible and appealing, because a loved one’s legacy can instead be rooted in restoration and care—and not consumption!

 

Returning To The Earth’s Natural Cycle

Environmental burials are also known for focusing more on a connection to nature and simplicity.

Instead of embalming a decedent’s body, they’ll be allowed to naturally decompose and subsequently provide the soil with nutrients. This often coincides with biodegradable materials like untreated wood, wicker or cotton shrouds.

Many green burial sites are also conservation cemeteries, which means that they protect an area’s natural habitat—as opposed to disturbing it. Headstones are replaced with simple markers or native plants that blend seamlessly into the cemetery’s landscape, and families can rest assured knowing that their loved one’s final resting place actually contributes to a living ecosystem of trees, pollinators and biodiversity.

So, there’s absolutely no denying how environmental burials are creating a major shift from preservation to participation!

 

A Burial Investment Closely Aligned With Wellness Values

For a lot of modern families, environmental burials represent a more aligned investment—and not just a more sustainable option in comparison to traditional funerals.

Today’s wellness culture strongly emphasizes factors like mindfulness, balance and interconnectedness—which is why people are rethinking all sorts of daily habits like travel, consumption and milestone celebrations. These values are now extending toward end-of-life investments and care through environmental burials providing both a deeply emotional and personal experience.

Families are encouraged to engage in more meaningful, intimate rituals during environmental burials. This includes planting a memorial tree, wrapping the body in a handmade shroud, or holding more simple ceremonies in beautiful meadows. These acts of kindness and environmental stewardship foster a sense of participation, peace, and the type of closure that a lot of people find intrinsically healing.

 

Modern Technology Meets Age-Old Tradition

Another interesting aspect of environmental burials is that they’re actually ushering in a natural return to nature that simultaneously includes technological innovations.

A lot of green burial grounds are now utilizing GPS mapping to help record exact gravesite locations, which is meant to make things easier on visiting families. There are also many eco-monitoring tools that help burial sites measure soil health and overall habitat restoration over the course of a long period of time.

So, environmental burials are now offering an unparalleled combination of high-compassion and high-tech, which shows how ancient wisdom and modern wellness can beautifully coexist!

 

The Growing Global Movement Toward Environmental Burials

What was recently just a niche concept has quickly turned into a growing movement throughout the United States and abroad.

The number of green burial sites just here in America has dramatically increased throughout the last 10 years, and many traditional cemeteries are now offering natural sections to keep up with the times.

States like Colorado, Oregon and Washington have also legalized human composting, which is a process that boosts the natural decomposition process into making very rich soil.

And around the world, countless countries are embracing sustainable funeral services as a small part of much broader environmental agendas. So, the environmental burial movement is yet another example of how caring for the planet doesn’t simply end at death—because this is a commitment that lasts an entire lifetime (and beyond).

 

Environmental Burials Are Helping People Leave Behind Living Legacies

Environmental burials are essentially acts of renewal at the very core of the concept, because they transform grief into a moment of growth and turn a family’s loss into an opportunity to give back.

And in a world in which sustainability and wellness have become intertwined, green goodbyes provide a profound opportunity to leave new life behind after death1