While it may sound overwhelming and stressful to think about how you would want to proceed with the disposition after a funeral, it’s essential to have a certain plan in place for a complete service to honor your loved one after death.
While many choose to proceed with traditional burial methods, with specific advancements, there are now modern burial methods that eliminate the risk of creating a toxic footprint in the environment.
Biodegradable burial containers for green burials aren’t only environment-friendly but may even directly benefit the planet. Get familiar with the concept of green burials and the specific containers used if you’re looking to explore different burial options for your loved one.
What’s a biodegradable burial container?
An eco-friendly burial container is designed to naturally decompose and become part of the earth. What makes one of these burial containers biodegradable is that it’s made of specific natural materials that are free from toxins that allow bacteria to break it down over time.
To keep this type of burial 100% biodegradable, apart from using a green burial container, the use of embalming fluid and other non-biodegradable materials isn’t permitted if you want to proceed with a green burial.
What are the available options for an eco-friendly burial container?
From simple shrouds to a wide range of caskets and coffins, there are multiple options that you can choose from if you want to proceed with a green burial. Here’s an introduction to the types of green burial containers.
1. Burial shrouds
A burial shroud is a piece of fabric that’s wrapped around the body. Shrouds are long and rectangular and can be easily folded. They have ties that help tie the shroud into place once the body is placed on it.
Shrouds are made out of a special kind of material, such as linen, cotton, or any non-synthetic fabric, that’s able to hold significant weight while making the shrouding process as simple as possible.
Once the body is wrapped in the shroud, it can be directly placed in the ground or a casket.
2. Woven fiber caskets
Woven caskets are made from sustainable and degradable fibers. These caskets are designed with handles and liners to prevent any leakage. The body can be placed directly in the casket or wrapped in a shroud beforehand.
Woven caskets can be made out of willow, seagrass, bamboo, banana leaves, and rattan. They also come in different shapes apart from the regular coffin shape such as oval or rectangular.
3. Wooden caskets
Caskets made of wood have the same look and feel as a traditional casket, but these caskets contain no metals, no toxic stains, and no sealants.
If you’re looking to proceed with a sustainable wooden casket, try opting for one that’s made out of pine. A professional woodworker will use the dovetail method to connect the edges that don’t require metal screws or nails.
Inquire about biodegradable burial containers from funeral services in Pittsburgh
If you’re in the process of planning a traditional funeral service for a recently departed loved one and you want to use more sustainable burial options such as green burials, make sure to enlist the help of a funeral home of your choice.
Make sure that you obtain the needed assistance to follow through with an eco-conscious burial from a funeral service provider that will prioritize your needs and requirements for a green burial.
