 A green funeral is a personal choice, but EnviroCitizen.org wants you to know that holding a green funeral can be done with taste and elegance. It is actually just as easy to organize a green funeral as it is to coordinate a traditional funeral, you simply have to know what to look for—that’s where EnviroCitizen.org comes in.
Flowers are one of the most noticeable aspects of any funeral. In the case of a green funeral, you should carefully consider the choices you make in this area. Fresh cut flowers and flower arrangements are not good for the environment and quickly deplete nature’s environmental resources. If you would like to include fresh cut flowers, consider the organic variety. These can be fresh cut or native potted plants. Native potted plants are a very positive choice for the environment as they can be taken home, given away as gifts or transplanted to the funeral site. This can be helpful if you decide to use a living marker.
Another aspect one should consider in a green funeral is the choice of a living marker. Although this may not often be considered as a green funeral decoration, it is a large part of any funeral. Most funerals use a traditional headstone for a marker, but recently (especially at green funerals and green burial grounds) living headstones are being used. A living headstone is a tree or bush planted in memory of the deceased. These practical markers do not damage the environment, in fact they benefit the environment by emitting oxygen, and are a beautiful way in which to pay homage to a deceased love one. A small plaque can be used in correlation with this living marker, but this will not detract from its environmental benefits.
If you choose to use a headstone, consider planting perennials instead of placing arrangements at the grave site. Not only will these beautiful flowers bloom every year without any maintenance, but they will prevent you from having to purchase fresh cut flowers repeatedly, depleting natural resources unnecessarily.
Though the casket is not necessary considered to be a “decoration”, it is certainly a visual aspect of the entire funeral picture. Eco-friendly caskets come in many different options. You can now choose from caskets made of green, renewable resources such as seagrass, bamboo and willow. Often, green caskets will also include eco-friendly fabric lining, pillows and shrouds.
If you are looking for eco-friendly alternatives for a green funeral, consider some of the green funeral decorations offered by EnviroCitizen.org. You can easily accomplish delivering a beautiful and memorable funeral while maintaining an eco-conscious mindset—a lovely and meaningful gesture to both the deceased and the environment.
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