Environment activists have long alleged that the traditional burial practices are not environmentally friendly. Not only it requires huge tract of lands, which are made available at the cost of green forest, the physical and chemical process post burial results in several green house gases and other toxic chemicals. A number of groups and companies around the world have come up with alternatives so that you can choose to contribute your bit to the environment even after you are dead.
1. OnEarth Australia
OnEarth Australia uses 100 percent recycled cardboard to manufacture environmentally friendly coffins. Other material used in the coffin including paints and varnishes are non toxic and are thus eco-friendly. The coffins have been tested and approved by internationally recognized testing agency to ensure the structural efficiency during transportation.
2. Freezing Your Corpse
Promessa Organic, a Swedish company, has a way to cremate the dead body using the liquid Nitrogen. Under this process, the body is frozen into liquid nitrogen and then sound waves are used to crush the frozen body into powder, which is then sterilized and left to compost.
3. Biodegradable Urns
The biodegradable urns sold by Wal-Mart (manufactured by Star Legacy Funeral Network, Inc.) have gained popularity recently. The company has facilitated the delivery within 24 hours of ordering via FedEx. Such urns are available for $69.99 onwards.
4. Arka Ecopod
Ecopod coffins are made up of 100 percent recycled papers and other such recycled material. Other components such as mattress, handle etc are also made up of eco friendly material, so that large amount of harmful chemicals and wood can be saved, which is used in traditional coffins.
5. Batesville Cremation Urns
Batesville cremation urns are among the most popular urns in the United States. Although, it is available in most of the crematories, few retailers have started making it available online at wholesale rates. The user has the option to choose from different sizes of the urn and also to personalize the same by engraving information on the same.
6. Compakta Coffins
The coffins provided by Creative Coffins, use Compakta cartonboard, which are not only environmentally friendly, but are also certified non toxic. The coffins can be used for either cremation or burial. The company offers a number of predesign to choose from. However, if a customer wants his own design or wants to add on some personalization, the option is available from the company free of cost.
7. Ecocoffin
Ecocoffin is made up of cardboard, using 90 percent recycled materials. The casket does not produce harmful by products in burial or cremation. The coffins are available in number of colors and designs. The ecocoffin is accepted in US and Europe.
8. Coffin Cover
Coffin cover consists of two parts â internal, which is made up of card board and recycled material and external, which provides traditional shape to the coffin. While cremation, only internal coffin is used. The outer cover remains untouched with the body and can be reused in another funeral.
9. Promessa AB Ecological Funeral
Ecological burial is basically a corpse composting, which uses a form of cryogenics and alkaline hydrolysis to breakdown body. The ultimate result is fine powder similar to that produced in the cremation process.
10. Green coffin made from newspaper
The idea of making Green coffin from newspaper emerged from the hard work of Jeremy Clutterbuck. Sunset coffins, the company formed by Mr. Clutterbuck, uses approximately 70 recycled tabloid news papers to produce one coffin. The idea has gained a lot of popularity with a number of celebrities being buried in such eco friendly coffins.