Natural burial
[1][2] Although natural burials present themselves as a relatively modern concept in Western societies, they have been practiced for many years in different cultures out of "religious obligation, necessity, or tradition".
According to Nature, the earliest known human burial dates back to the Middle Stone Age (about 74 – 82 thousand years ago) of a toddler in what is now Kenya.
[4] Natural burial has been practiced for thousands of years, but has been interrupted in modern times by new methods such as vaults, liners, embalming, and mausoleums that mitigate the decomposition process.
[2] In addition to restoration ecology, and habitat conservation projects,[2] others have proposed alternative natural uses of the land such as sustainable agriculture and permaculture, to maintain the burial area in perpetuity.
[7] Each year, 22,500 cemeteries across the United States bury approximately:[8] When formaldehyde is used for embalming, it breaks down, and the chemicals released into the ground after burial and ensuing decomposition are inert.
The problems with the use of formaldehyde and its constituent components in natural burial are the exposure of mortuary workers to it[10] and the killing of the decomposer microbes necessary for breakdown of the body in the soil.
[11] Natural burial promotes the restoration of poor soil areas and allows for long-term reuse of the land.
Solid wood and particle board (chipboard) coffins with hardwood veneers account for 10–15% of sales, and fibreglass and alternative materials, such as woven fiber, make up the rest.
The body is ritually washed by select members of the Jewish community, wrapped in either a linen or muslin sheet, and placed in an all-wood casket.
[3] Issues like the scarcity and high expense of real estate could possibly be mitigated by reinventing existing spaces like cemeteries, instead of developing on new land.
For example, instead of replacing modern cemeteries with commercial or residential development, they can continue to function as green space for public parks.
However, this concept of repurposing graveyards into not only more eco-friendly burial sites but areas of recreation causes controversy between those whose sole intent is to grieve and those who believe the land could be used more productively.
[20] The EPA has issued a general permit under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) that authorizes the burial of non-cremated human remains at sea.
Some architectural prototypes employing tree pod burials envision a forest park of the deceased, where mourning loved ones could take a stroll and honor the dead, as opposed to a more artificially constructed graveyard.
The Tower of Silence is a raised circular structure used in Zoroastrian funerary rituals that exposes the corpse to the elements for decomposition in order to avoid contaminating soil and water with decomposing bodies.
After scavenger animals consume the flesh, skeletal remains are retrieved and put into a central pit where they are allowed to break down the rest of the way.
Scattering the ashes of a deceased individual into a body of water is practiced in many cultures around the world and plays a part in several religions, including Hinduism.
The riverside city of Varanasi is the center of this practice where massive religious sites along the Ganges, like Manikarnika Ghat, are dedicated to this purpose.
Rather than being an ecologically friendly practice like other natural burial methods, Jal Pravah is a notable component of pollution in the Ganges in the Varanasi region because of the high number of bodies involved.
[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][excessive citations] With growing interest in promoting eco-friendly practices, natural burials have been discussed in various Canadian news outlets.
[48] The Green Burial Council also offers information on the types of coffins, urns, and embalming tools that would fall under the eco-friendly category[49] and be available for North American consumers.
The organization's mandate is to facilitate the creation of natural burial grounds in Ontario, which provide an environmentally-friendly option at death.
The cemetery is in a forested area between the ocean and the hills, where the Coastal Douglas Fir ecosystem is restored and protected, and graves are marked with memorial stones gathered from the land.
[56] The area has native Coastal Douglas Fir along with a variety of ecologically similar tree species, which the cemetery claims to keep as close to the natural ecosystem as possible.
Families are not allowed to place permanent markers on the grave sites other than native species of plants such as flowers and bushes.
[64] The cemetery offers natural burials for individuals who have been embalmed to eco-friendly standards, then interred using biodegradable shrouds and coffins.
[65] Grave sites will be left to grow over naturally, meaning grass will not be mowed and the placement of artificial flowers and other markers will not be allowed.
The organization established the nation's first certifiable standards for cemeteries, funeral providers, burial product manufacturers, and cremation facilities.
A project of the Philander Chase Conservancy, Kenyon College's land trust, the preserve offers a natural burial option on twenty-three acres of restored prairies and woodlands.
The 2014 documentary A Will for the Woods explores natural burial, primarily through the lens of one terminally ill North Carolina man's decision to have one.
