Alternative Burial Options

The type of burial you have is very personal, involving the consideration of multiple factors such as family traditions and religious customs, personal preferences, and financial situations. Forms of burial alternative to the traditional casket burial are becoming more and more popular as people realize the impact traditional burial has on the environment. Traditional burial takes up a great deal of space and land-water usage, is expensive, and is harmful to the earth. Not only is a wooden or steel casket not biodegradable, but formaldehyde releases chemicals into the soil and air that can be carcinogenic. If you would like to choose a different burial option for yourself or a loved one, below are five alternatives to the traditional burial method.

Natural Burial

Natural burial emphasizes environmental sustainability because it involves neither chemical embalming nor the use of a casket. The body is placed straight into the ground or in a biodegradable shroud, so it can decompose into the soil. According to the Funeral Consumers Alliance, “each year US cemeteries bury over 30 million board feet of hardwood and 90,000 tons of steel in caskets, 17,000 tons of steel and copper in vaults, and 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete in vaults.” With a natural burial, you can conserve natural resources and help reduce the 5.3 million gallon-per-year rate of embalming fluid. It is often thought of as a way to allow your body to rejoin the cycle of life.

Space Burial

The mystery of space is intriguing and exciting. Plenty of odd things have been launched into space, including wedding rings and even food. Many people dream to travel into the unknown themselves but are not able to achieve the feat within their own lifetime. With a space burial, your dreams can come true in the afterlife–a number of scientists, astronomers, and even the creator of Star Trek have had their remains shot into outer space. One to seven grams of cremated remains are placed into a small capsule that is released into the atmosphere, either to orbit the earth, travel to earth’s moon, or be carried into deep space beyond the moon.

Cremation

Cremation is the most popular burial option after the traditional method, and cremation rates have been at an all time high according to the National Funeral Directors Association. Remains are incinerated in an industrial furnace and reduced to chemical compounds like gases, minerals, and bone ash. Ashes are then given to relatives so they can disperse them as they wish, or keep them in an urn or get them pressed into jewelry such as a ring or necklace. It is easy to find a reputable cremation service just by searching for cremation services in New York or any location near you.

Reef Burial

If you would rather help to nourish an aquatic environment after you pass, you can opt for a reef burial over a natural land burial. Cremation ashes are mixed together with cement creates artificial reef material in an area that needs some restoration to attract fish and other sea life. IN a sense, you will be helping to provide the sea life with a habitat in which they can create more life–much like the cycle of life that continues with natural burial. Your loved ones can even participate in the creation of your eternal reef by including personal mementos, mixing the remains into the environmentally-safe concrete, and personalizing the memorial with handprints and written messages in the concrete.

Plastination

This method is similar to mummification in that it helps preserve the human body in a somewhat recognizable form for a long period of time. The American Plastination Company states that it is the method of “permanently preserving tissue in a life-like state, in which biological tissue is preserved, by replacing the fluids of the body with synthetic materials. The preservation and demonstration of anatomical teaching aids that retain much of their natural features has been a long-lasting goal of anatomists, pathologists and other medical educators.” Plastination is a very interesting option for someone who wishes to donate their body to education, scientific and medical education, in particular.

With each of these alternatives to traditional burial, you have multiple opportunities for personalizing the process as well as the memorial. Since the traditional method is expensive and harmful to the earth and all who inhabit it, it would be a good idea to consider other options like these five and more!