As our planet continues to suffer from worse and worse climate change, many people are beginning to as the question: “What can I do?” A posthumous, non-traditional way to help the environment is through the right kind of burial in a cemetery in Matthews, NC.

There are a few environmental downsides of traditional burial in a cemetery. One big example is loss of habitat. A recent statistic from the Centre for National Burial states that 10 acres of cemetery holds almost 20,000 tons of vault concrete, 1000 tons of casket steal, and enough wood to build over 40 full-sized homes. All that material leaves little room for animal and plant life. Not to mention loss of land that could otherwise be used to grow food or build homes.

So, what do you do? Do you have to give up on the idea of burying your lost loved one in a cemetery? Not at all! There are ways you personally can make burial in a cemetery even greener. Some of these include:

• Choose the casket carefully. Bodies generally require bodies to be in a rigid, consumable, and leak-proof caskets. Burying these caskets can hurt the environment if you chose a bad one. When picking out your casket, look for one made of non-toxic and renewable material. Wicker and cardboard are great options.
• Recycle medical materials. Remove and recycle medical devices and parts, like pacemakers, before cremation. Burying said parts can release harmful gases and produce non-biodegradable remains. Plus, recycling these materials reduces waste.
• Consider a biodegradable casket. Burying a casket can negatively impact the surrounding earth. Instead, choose a biodegradable casket to better protect the local ground.

A lot of people never even think about burials’ environmental impact, but a few small changes to funerals and services can go a long way.

If you are looking for a green way to celebrate the life of a loved one or prepare for your own passing in an environmentally friendly way, cremation might be another answer. Make an informed decision on how best to make your cremation environmentally conscious. On the whole, thanks to modern advances, cremation is a greener choice. However, there are some downsides to cremation in terms of the environment. Standard crematoriums burn a lot of natural gas, and therefore release lots of greenhouse gases and chemical vapors that can harm the atmosphere.

Also, to fully dehydrate a human body to bone and ash, a crematorium has to be fully heated to at least 1400 degrees Fahrenheit and maintain the heat for a minimum of 45 minutes. This process releases a lot of carbon dioxide and uses up a lot of fossil fuel. But, new technology and more fuel-efficient crematorium centers have greatly reduced these negative impacts.

Be careful to remain aware of your options when it comes to Matthews, NC cremation services so you can feel good about your choice in terms of the environment and celebrating your loved one. If you want more information, you can visit Gethsemane Cemetery and Memorial Garden or give us a call today.