Should You Opt for a “Green Burial”?

When the word “burial” is mentioned, a common image conjured by most people is a coffin being lowered into a burial plot. However, you may not realize that many coffins are actually quite harmful to the environment. Why? Because coffins are often manufactured using chemicals and non-biodegradable material. Roughly one million pounds of metal, wood and concrete are put into the ground each year to separate bodies from the surrounding earth. In addition, embalming fluid, made up of formaldehyde and rubbing alcohol, is considered a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization, and can seep into the ground and affect the surrounding ecosystems, according to Medford.com. “There’s another option, and people need to know that it is an option,” said Judith Lorei, co-founder of the all-volunteer group called Green Burial Massachusetts. “Natural burial is much better for the environment than conventional burial or even cremation,” said Lorei.   There was a time when...