Both cremations and burials contribute to the huge environmental impacts of funerals.
Over our lifetime, many of us would have recycled countless reams of paper, cardboard boxes, glass bottles and beer cans. We might have made a conscious effort to turn the lights off when we leave the room, to reduce our environmental impact. As we become more aware of the carbon footprint we leave behind in life, Bare Cremation is working to reduce the environmental impact of death, too.
In an age of climate change awareness, it is important to us at Bare that Australians are sent off with minimal impact on the environment.
What are the environmental impacts of a funeral?: burial vs cremation
There is an ongoing debate about whether burial or cremation has a lower environmental impact. That is largely because both cremations and burials leave behind a significant environmental footprint. A 2008 report found that each burial at Adelaide’s Centennial Park generated about 39 kilograms of carbon dioxide, compared with 160 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent for each cremation according to a findings of a study on environmental impacts of funerals, reported in the Sydney Morning Herald.
But weighing up the long-term impacts, the study found that burial generally has a 10% higher environmental impact than cremation, as it is a more labour and resource-intensive process. Much of the emissions come from maintenance of the gravesite and cemetery lawns over the years. Burial occupies scarce and valuable land, while cremation leaves little trace.
Embalming fluid is another huge contributor to damaging the environment, as the chemicals are buried in the ground and gradually work their way into the soil and underground waterways. It’s shocking that an average 4 hectare cemetery holds enough embalming fluid to fill a small swimming pool. Buried bodies also release methane as they decompose.
On the other hand, cremation releases harmful gases like mercury and dioxin. And the energy needed for one single cremation is the equivalent of the power an average person uses for an entire month. Technological innovations, like mercury filtering equipment, are helping the cremation industry to reduce its carbon emissions further, to become a more sustainable funeral solution.
Another consideration of the environmental impacts of funerals is the amount of wood needed to produce a traditional coffin and the carbon emissions associated with the manufacturing process. To keep emissions low, we only use bio-board coffins with our Bare Cremations. These are a type of environmentally-friendly product similar to a 'cardboard coffin'. These coffins have a lower carbon footprint to both make and cremate, compared with the glossy mahogany caskets commonly used in traditional funerals.
How to plan a more eco-friendly funeral
Families looking for more sustainable funeral options might consider some of the following options:
- A sustainable coffin made from bio-board, wicker or cardboard, without metal handles;
- Dress the body in biodegradable garments like cotton or wool;
- Plant a tree in memory of your loved one;
- Publish online or social media funeral notices instead of newspaper print advertisements
- If you are arranging a burial, consider a green funeral or natural burial
- Print memorial cards made from recycled paper
- If you’re having a funeral, email out an electronic Order of Service rather than printing copies
- If you’re arranging catering at a wake or memorial, order food that’s sourced locally
If you are planning a cremation, you might consider purchasing a biodegradable urn from The Living Urn, which allow for ashes to be planted with a tree. The Eco Burial Urn is an all-natural burial urn made from bamboo, a 100% sustainable resource. You can learn more by reading our article on tree-planting memorials here.
One of our funeral arrangers would be happy to add a living Urn to your Bare arrangement if you would like to give us a call on 1800 071 176.
Final thoughts on sustainable funerals
While cremations generate more carbon emissions than burials at the time of interment, their long-term impact is around 10% less than that of burials, due to cemetery maintenance. Another large consideration is the emissions needed to produce a more elaborate mahogany coffin, compared with a simple bio-board or cardboard coffin generally used in direct cremations. More info on the reasons people chose cremations can be found in our Complete Guide to Cremations here.
Funeral providers are increasingly understanding the need for burials and cremations to be more eco-friendly. So, if a sustainable funeral is important to you, it is worth spending some time to research the funeral options available.
Don’t be afraid to ask funeral directors questions about how their arrangements are leaving behind a smaller footprint. If they can’t give you the answers you are looking for, consider a more sustainable funeral provider.
Mauaji ya kufukiza maiti na mazishi huchangia athari kubwa za mazishi kwa mazingira. Katika maisha yetu, wengi wetu tungekuwa tumetumia tena vipande vingi vya karatasi, masanduku ya makaratasi, chupa za glasi na makopo ya bia. Kwa hivyo, ni muhimu sana kuzima taa wakati wa kuondoka, ili kupunguza athari zetu kwa mazingira. Kwa kuwa tunajua zaidi juu ya alama ya kaboni ambayo tunaacha nyuma katika maisha, Bare Cremation inafanya kazi kupunguza athari za mazingira za kifo pia. Katika enzi ya ufahamu wa mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa, ni muhimu kwetu katika Bare kwamba Waustralia wanasafirishwa kwa athari ndogo kwa mazingira. Ni nini athari za mazishi kwa mazingira? Kuzificha au kuzikia ni suala ambalo linaendelea kujadiliwa kwa muda mrefu, na kuna utata kuhusu ikiwa kuzikia au kuzikia kuna athari ndogo kwa mazingira. Hiyo ni kwa sababu hasa uchomaji na mazishi huacha alama kubwa ya mazingira. Ripoti ya mwaka 2008 iligundua kwamba kila mazishi katika bustani ya Adelaide Centennial Park yalitokeza karibu kilo 39 za kaboni dioksidi, ikilinganishwa na kilo 160 za kaboni dioksidi sawa kwa kila mazishi kulingana na matokeo ya utafiti juu ya athari za mazingira za mazishi, iliripotiwa katika Sydney Morning Herald. Utafiti huo uligundua kuwa kuzikwa kwa jumla kuna athari ya mazingira ya juu zaidi ya 10% kuliko kufukuzwa kwa maiti, kwani ni mchakato wa kazi na rasilimali nyingi. Sehemu kubwa ya uzalishaji hutokana na utunzaji wa makaburi na nyasi za makaburi kwa miaka mingi. Mazishi huchukua ardhi ndogo na yenye thamani, ilhali kuchomwa maiti kunaacha alama chache. Mvuke wa kuharibu ni mchangiaji mwingine mkubwa wa kuharibu mazingira, kwani kemikali huzikwa ardhini na hatua kwa hatua hufanya kazi ndani ya udongo na njia za maji za chini ya ardhi. Ni jambo la kushangaza kwamba makaburi ya wastani ya ekari 4 yana maji ya kutosha ya kuyeyusha ili kujaza dimbwi dogo la kuogelea. Miili iliyozikwa pia hutoa metani inapoharibika. Kwa upande mwingine, kuchomwa maiti hutokeza gesi zenye kudhuru kama vile zebaki na dioksini. Nishati inayohitajika kwa ajili ya kufukiza maiti moja ni sawa na ile inayotumiwa na mtu mmoja kwa mwezi mzima. Uvumbuzi wa teknolojia, kama vile vifaa vya kuchuja zebaki, unasaidia sekta ya kufukiza kuondoa uzalishaji wa kaboni zaidi, kuwa suluhisho la mazishi la kudumu zaidi. Kwa upande mwingine, athari za mazingira za mazishi ni kiasi cha mbao zinazohitajika kutengeneza jeneza la jadi na uzalishaji wa kaboni unaohusiana na mchakato wa utengenezaji. Ili kuweka uzalishaji wa chini, sisi tu kutumia bio-bodi coffins na yetu Bare Cremations. Hizi ni aina ya bidhaa ya mazingira ya kirafiki sawa na "sanduku la makaratasi". Makaburi hayo yana kiwango cha chini cha kaboni ya kutengeneza na kuharibu, ikilinganishwa na masanduku ya mahogany yenye kung'aa yanayotumiwa kwa kawaida katika mazishi ya kitamaduni. Jinsi ya kupanga mazishi ya mazingira ya mazingira - Kuchapisha matangazo ya mazishi ya mtandaoni au ya kijamii badala ya matangazo ya gazeti - Ikiwa unaandaa mazishi, fikiria mazishi ya kijani kibichi au ya asili - Kadi za ukumbusho zilizotengenezwa kutoka kwa karatasi iliyotengenezwa upya - Ikiwa una mazishi ya elektroniki, tumia Agizo la Huduma badala ya kuchapisha nakala - Ikiwa unaandaa chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula cha chakula. Eco Burial Urn ni urn ya maiti ya asili iliyotengenezwa kutoka kwa mianzi, rasilimali endelevu ya 100% ya asili. Unaweza kujifunza zaidi kwa kusoma makala yetu juu ya kumbukumbu za kupanda miti hapa. Mfanyakazi wetu wa mazishi atafurahi kuongeza chombo cha kuishi kwa mpango wako wa Bare ikiwa ungependa kutupigia simu kwenye 1800 071176. Wakati mazishi ya maiti yanazalisha uzalishaji wa kaboni zaidi kuliko mazishi wakati wa kuzikwa, athari zao za muda mrefu ni karibu 10% chini ya zile za mazishi, kwa sababu ya matengenezo ya makaburi. Kwa mfano, ni muhimu kuzingatia kiwango cha uzalishaji wa gesi chafu kinachohitajika kutengeneza sanduku la mahogany, ikilinganishwa na sanduku la bio-board au sanduku la kadi ambalo hutumiwa kwa kawaida katika maiti ya moja kwa moja. Habari zaidi juu ya sababu watu walichagua cremations inaweza kupatikana katika mwongozo wetu kamili kwa cremations hapa. Watoaji wa mazishi wanaelewa zaidi na zaidi uhitaji wa mazishi na mazishi ya moto kuwa ya kirafiki zaidi kwa mazingira. Kwa hiyo, ikiwa mazishi ya kudumu ni muhimu kwako, inafaa kutumia wakati fulani kuchunguza chaguzi za mazishi zinazopatikana. Usiogope kuwauliza wasimamizi wa mazishi maswali kuhusu jinsi mipango yao inavyoacha alama ndogo. Kama hawawezi kukupa majibu unayotafuta, fikiria mtoa huduma wa mazishi endelevu zaidi.