Thinking About Having a ‘Green’ Funeral? Here’s What To Know

The idea of a typical American funeral tends to elicit images of a polished, wood coffin, bouquets of delicate flowers resting nearby, and the musty, darkened chapel where family and friend will gather to mourn. A question that many are now asking is: “How necessary are all these accoutrements?” Markets have responded to the query, albeit minimally at this stage, with the “green burial.” Though the specific procedures entailed by a green burial vary widely, they generally require far fewer resources than a traditional burial or cremation. The procedure skips the embalming process, forgoes the concrete vault, and aims to protect nature from the environmentally destructive traditional burial or cremation. Michelle Acciavatti, who works for a service that helps families peruse their end-of-life options, warns, “scattering small amounts can be hazardous in a delicate environment such as an alpine environment or vernal pool.”

See Sonya Vatomsky, Thinking About Having a ‘Green’ Funeral? Here’s What To Know, The New York Times, March 22, 2018.

Special thanks to Lewis Saret (Attorney, Washington, D.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.