With the “green” movement touching every aspect of our lives, why not affect our deaths, too?
More and more funeral homes are going “green” these days. The Callahan-DeBaun Funeral Home in Terre Haute, Indiana, is one of the facilities that is joining the trend. However, according to the funeral home’s marketing director Curtis DeBaun, green funerals are nothing new. In fact, funerals and burials are going back to the way they were until the late 19th century.
Green burials are more natural and eco-friendly in that they do not use embalming fluids, concrete vaults or metal caskets. Instead, they use wicker and other materials that are biodegradable to minimize the impact on the environment.
“Embalming fluids, the metal caskets, and the concrete vaults all have negative effects on the environment,” explained DeBraun. In addition to saving the environment, green burials are also easier on your wallet. An average metal casket can cost as much as five times the price of a wicker one.
The question that remains is this: Will Cadillac hearses still be a part of green burials? They have already come a long way in terms of fuel efficiency, but will the manufacturers try to make them more efficient than they are now? What are your thoughts?
