Eco-Friendly Funerals & Green Burials

Posted on April 17th, 2018 by Foothill Funeral and Cremation under Bio Cremation, Burial, Death, Eco-Friendly Funerals, Funerals, Green Burials, Uncategorized
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Green Burial Go Green in Death

Part 1 in a 2-Part Series

Currently celebrated in 192 countries each year, Earth Day originally centered around Spring Equinox (around March 21). The United Nations later designated April 22 as the official International Mother Earth Day. Now known widely by the shortened name, Earth Day, the annual event is designed to remind global citizens to take care of the planet we all share. We’re sure you’ve heard lots of tips for doing so while you’re alive. But we recommend taking it one step further – go green even when you die! In part one of our two-part series, we cover green burial ideas. Next week’s post will focus on other ways to go green when you die.Green Burial Earth Day

Green Burials

Green (aka natural) burials emphasize environmental simplicity and sustainability. Mortuary personnel prepare the body without the use of chemicals such as embalming fluid. Green cremations are also chemical-free. Funeral home workers place the dead body in a biodegradable coffin or shroud. Then, they inter the remains without a concrete burial vault. This enables the grave site to return to its natural state, unaffected. The Green Burial goal is to complete decompose the body and return it naturally to the soil. This is the source of the Bible verse reference: “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”Green Burial Earth Day

Why Choose Green Burial?
Green burials are not a novel concept. Prior to the mid-19thCentury, most burials were green. They just hadn’t earned the label. Most Jewish and Muslim burials today are also handled this way. Green burials are popular today because:

  • Simplicity

    Wrapping a body in a shroud or placing it in a plain, unadorned coffin appeals to people who want to exit the Earth as simply, naturally and unpretentiously as possible.

  • Cost Effective

    Without embalming costs, expensive caskets, or concrete vaults, Green Burials are as cost-effective as they are eco-friendly. Families who go this route can save lots of money.

    Conservation Green Burial

  • Conservation

    More than 30 million board feet of hardwood, 90,000 tons of steel and 17,000 tons of copper and 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete are buried each year in the United States for caskets and vaults. Going green saves precious resources.

  • Safety

    Funeral directors use about 5.3 million gallons of embalming fluid each year in the U.S. The toxic chemical contains formaldehyde, a respiratory irritant and known carcinogen. What’s more, the cremation process, itself, is an environmental horror story.Incineration emits noxious substances, including dioxin, hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide, and climate-changing carbon dioxide.Go Green Earth Day 2018

Check back next week to read part two of this two-part series.

About Foothill Funeral & Cremation

Foothill Funeral Earth DayThe Green Burial Council, which is the definitive environmental certification organization setting the standard for green burial in North America, has certified Foothill Funeral & Cremation. Regardless of whether your loved one wants to “Go green” in death, we would love to help during your time of need. Give us a call (626) 335-0615 or drop by our Glendora showroom. Our relationship with United Methodist Church is the perfect place for mourners to host funerals and memorials. You’ll love the grandiose yet intimate setting. We proudly serve the San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles Basin, Orange County and the Inland Empire. Working in the mortuary industry since 1996, we have worked hard to build a reputation of quality, sincerity and trust. Please allow us to help you at your time of need or in the future. Call today (626) 335-0615 or contact us via email.

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