Be green to the very end with an eco-friendly burial
It's all very well living an eco-friendly life, but if you're going to blow it all by going up in a puff of polluting smoke or clog up the 'landfill' in one of Britain's over-crowded cemeteries when you pop off, it can all seem a bit like a wasted effort. So what can you do to ensure a green death? (Hmm.)
First of all, you have more choice as to where you are laid to rest than you might realise. If you're lucky enough to own a private plot of woodland, for example, or can gain permission from someone who does, you can legally hold a burial there. There are surprisingly few stipulations on what you can and can't do (mostly to do with not putting a body too near any water supplies for obvious reasons) and as well as being a greener option, being closely involved with the burial is said to be very helpful in the grieving process. If the idea of a woodland burial appeals, but all you have is a small patio (and no desire for any Brookside type moments) then it is possible to find rural burial sites you can use for your ceremony for a fee. More information on conducting your own private burial can be found here.
Of course, a body is only as green as the coffin its buried in, so it's important to find one made from earth-friendly materials, which will enrich rather than poison the soil when it decomposes. There's a big market in these now, and many are far more attractive and less gloomy looking than their traditional counterparts. They include wicker coffins from the Somerset Willow company (above). As well as making really quite bright and cheery-looking coffins (now there's a sentence I never thought I'd write!) willow is a very sustainable material and a renewable source that does not need to be re-planted once established.
Another option is Ecopod, whose caskets look more like funky surfboards than anything dracula would want to be seen dead in! Every Ecopod comes in bright, jewel-like shades and — unlike a traditional "box" — is completely biodegradable. There is also an acorn-shaped urn available, though it comes with a disclaimer urging those considering cremation to reconsider, as it 'inevitably causes pollution'...
