April 4, 2022 Judy and Al Mowrer, Wooster, OH decided that they wanted to pushin’ up daisies literally when they died, using their bodies to help the Earth thrive and give new life.
Al, who was 74 years old, died from multiple sclerosis last year. He was wrapped in cotton shrouds and buried in the Foxfield Preserve of Wilmot, 20 miles southwest of their home. The conservation ground allows for natural or green burials without the use of embalming chemicals, concrete vaults, or steel caskets.
He is making the environment more sustainable. Judy, 69, stated that she finds it so peaceful that she is often out there. I take fresh strawberries and shelled peanuts and sprinkle them over his plot so that all the animals of the forest can visit him.
According to Jimmy Olson, a spokesperson of the National Funeral Directors Association, the Mowrers are a growing group that chooses an eco-friendly, back-to-nature approach for death. People are choosing natural, affordable methods over concrete and chemicals.
You could bury your loved one on your farmstead, at home, or at the church next door. There was no embalming or vaulting back then, he said. We are seeing a revival of what we used do.
While embalming was a common practice during Civil War, it was something that allowed bodies and their burials to be transported home. People are now choosing more traditional options.
Washington, Colorado and Oregon have legalized human composing. This is a method of turning the body into soil with straw and wood chips. Legislation is being considered to add New York City and California to this list.
According to the 2021 Consumer Awareness and Preferences Report by the associations, 55.7% of respondents would be interested green funeral options for their potential environmental benefits, cost-savings, or some other reason.
Although statistics are not available on green burials, the Green Burial Council states that there are over 350 cemeteries offering green burials in the United States. Vaults are not required for many more.
The average CostA modern funeral in 2021 would cost $8,000. Although green burials cost more than traditional ones, they tend to be cheaper. Judy paid $3,000 to get her husband’s plot. Judy also paid $100 for her husbands cotton shroud.
Green Burial Council International President Caitlyn Huke, PhD, states that the rise in green burials has been driven by rising costs and increasing concern about the environment.
Traditional embalming, burial in vaults and graves has a significant impact on the environment. According to the Green Council, burials in the United States consume 4.3 million gallons (roughly 20%) of embalming fluid. Caskets or vaults also release iron copper, lead, zinc and cobalt into soil.
Although cremation is more environmentally friendly than burial, the council claims that cremation uses fossil fuels to heat bodies to 1,900 F for more then 2 hours. This process releases billions of pounds worth of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere, and crematoriums release toxic chemicals into our air.
Hauke states that it’s something people are interested in more, especially with climate change at the forefront. A green burial is more personal in that it allows for more family involvement. It has more meaning and value.
Mallory McDuff from Asheville (NC) gave her father natural burial in 2005. He had requested it for years. Two years after his tragic death, his wife also died from the same fate after being struck by a car on her bicycle.
McDuff wrapped her father with her mother’s linens, and then buried him in a pine container made by a friend.
McDuff, 56 years old, wrote a book about natural burials that I believe is more than just the appeal of biodegradable. Our Last Best Act. We wrapped him in linens that my mom had touched and cared about, and placed him in a casket made of love. It was very meaningful.