Let’s start with a visualization exercise:  I invite you to imagine a wildflower meadow.  It is a mix of grasses and tall flowers.  The flowers are yellow and white and purple and all around this field are dancing butterflies and busy honey bees and, occasionally, birds swoop by to snatch an insect from the air or to pick some seeds from a plant. 

Imagine now that this beautiful meadow is surrounded by walking paths and benches and places for quiet reflection.  Bee hives hum in one corner of the property and bird feeders and a bubbling fountain are stationed in another.  Everything about this place suggests peace and natural beauty.   

Now, imagine that this very place of natural beauty is also a cemetery.  (Record scratch!) What?  Yes.  A green cemetery.  Unlike the ones that you have seen your whole life, these “green” burial grounds are turning the modern concept of a cemetery on its head and they are taking off all over the state of Pennsylvania and the country as a whole. 

So what exactly is “green burial?”  Is it legal?  Is this really a “thing?” 

Green or natural burial is legal in all 50 states and right now in Pennsylvania there are about 15 cemeteries that offer this option.  Green burial is a method of burial that does not require a concrete vault in the ground as most conventional cemeteries do.  The body is unembalmed and is placed in a biodegradable casket or shroud.  The body, then, is placed directly into the soil and allowed to decompose naturally over time. (FYI - this is how we did burial for hundreds, if not thousands of years, before embalming, concrete, and the widespread use of steel for coffins.)  The cemetery itself, as illustrated above, is often maintained as a wildflower meadow or woodland or a mixture of both.  Thus, the burials blend in with the landscape and the nutrients of the body go on to “feed the flowers” or the trees which then support other forms of life. 

This model is in stark contrast to the way we currently do burial.  Collectively, cemeteries across the United States are responsible for putting nearly four million gallons of embalming fluid and 64,000 tons of steel into the ground each year.  (Source) In addition, we use 30 million board feet of wood for caskets and 1.6 million tons of concrete for burial vaults and monuments each year. (Source.)  If those numbers sound big, they are. 

The excesses of modern burial along with the expense is partly why so many people are now turning to cremation.  But while cremation is definitely cheaper, it packs a punch in terms of consumption of fuel in the form of natural gas.  To accomplish their task, the retorts, where cremation takes place, must burn at extremely high temperatures.  Anywhere from 1400 to 1800 degrees, for one to three hours, is needed to reduce a body to its mineral components.  That’s a lot of gas!  Along with this, the process contributes to air pollution in the forms of carbon dioxide and heavy metals. 

Enter, green burial.  As explained above, the environmental impact of this form of burial is minimal.  While land is being used for this practice, these kinds of cemeteries continue to support plant diversity and wildlife and are open to the public for walking, for spending time in nature, and for quiet contemplation and reflection.  While this idea or method may not be for everyone, for many people who have spent countless hours gardening, bird watching, and/or spending time in nature, this is the method that resonates with their values and aligns with their wishes.  Maybe it makes sense to you too!  If so, I encourage you to reach out to us at Grieco Funeral Home GriecoFunerals.com  or learn more at   greenburialpa.org