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  • From: kevin akiva <kevinakiva@yahoo.com>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] it's a wrap
  • Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2007 19:19:19 -0800 (PST)

'Green funerals' feature biodegradable coffins

PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) -- Cynthia Beal wants to be an
Oregon cherry tree after she dies. She has everything
to make it happen -- a body, a burial site and a
biodegradable coffin.

"It is composting at its best," said Beal, owner of
The Natural Burial Company, which will sell a variety
of eco-friendly burial products when it opens in
January, including the Ecopod, a kayak-shaped coffin
made out of recycled newspapers.

Biodegradable coffins are part of a larger trend
toward "natural" burials, which require no
formaldehyde embalming, cement vaults, chemical lawn
treatments or laminated caskets. Advocates say such
burials are less damaging to the environment.

Cremation was long considered more environmentally
friendly than burials in graveyards, but its use of
fossil fuels has raised concerns.

Eco-friendly burials have been popular in Britain for
years, but industry experts say it's starting to catch
on in the U.S., where "green" cemeteries hosting
natural burials have sprouted up in California,
Florida, New York, South Carolina and Texas.

The majority of eco-friendly burial products come from
overseas -- including the Ecopod, which is made in the
United Kingdom -- although there are a few domestic
makers. Options range from natural-fiber shrouds to
fair-trade bamboo caskets lined with unbleached
cotton. There are also more traditional-looking
handcrafted coffins made of wood certified by the
Forest Stewardship Council.

The market is potentially huge. U.S. funeral homes
generate an estimated $11 billion in revenue annually
and that figure is sure to grow as baby boomers age.

There are already specialty funerals, featuring
caskets with custom paint jobs and urns with the
insignia of a favorite team. Industry experts say
eco-friendly funerals are just an extension of such
personalized end-of-life planning.

Biodegradable containers cost from around $100 for a
basic cardboard box up to more than $3,000 for a
handcrafted, hand-painted model.

"It's hard to tell if it's a fad or if it's here to
stay," said Bob Fells, of the International Cemetery,
Cremation and Funeral Association. "We are certainly
positioning ourselves that if this is what the
community wants, we are ready to serve them."

The Green Burial Council is working on certification
programs to verify the commitment and quality of
providers who say they are going natural.

"What we are trying to do is to make sure this concept
doesn't get 'green-washed' down the drain," said Joe
Sehee, the council's founder and executive director.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved.This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/12/27/green.coffins.ap/index.html



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  • [permaculture] it's a wrap, kevin akiva, 12/30/2007

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