Technology and Green Funerals

It's not as spooky as you are thinking!

It seems like the technology would not spare even the dead ones. You might be feeling uneasy after reading the topic but calm down that does not mean any harm will be done to your body after you die. We all know that death is inevitable but there is no need to worry at all. Sustainable living has been a major concern of scientists and environmental experts and now they have come up with ways to ensure eco-friendly burial and disposal of dead bodies. 

New and sustainable burial ways

From ecological perspective, those religious groups who cremate the dead bodies of their deceased ones contribute to the carbon footprint. It is reported that the average act of cremation adds 400kg of carbon dioxide which is very alarming and harmful for our atmosphere. Instead of that some countries such as the United States have started practicing composting, a natural way to decompose the bodies without fussing with the environment. In this process bodies are covered in soil, tree trimmings, straws, papers and other organic materials that boost natural decomposition. Just in 30 days the body decays and disappears in the soil which is then used as a fertilizer to grow plants in gardens or woodlands. As a result of that, very less carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere as compared to cremation. This initiative has been first taken by the company known as Recompose. 

Another start up called Coeio used alternative technology with slight changes in the aforementioned process. They used fungi and made suits out of mushrooms and some other microorganisms to cover the body. This promotes decomposition and toxins which are released when the body starts to decay also get neutralized. One interesting chemical process is alkaline hydrolysis in which the body is placed in a pressurized chamber in order to dispose it through heating and there is very less emission. The entire process takes almost four to six hours and finally the body of a dead human or animal is broken down into simpler substances or chemical components. This method has been legalized in the US and is being adopted by many pet and animal companies. Green burials are not just cost effective but also saves resources such as wood, concrete, bricks, steel or copper used for graves. You do not have to spend so much on concrete vaults or the caskets. It also reduces the need for hazardous chemicals that are used in embalming process. 

Green burial is being welcomed by many individuals in the western countries because of the lower cost as well as to protect the environment from harmful chemicals and gases that are released in the atmosphere.