www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall A greener form of cremation

Christ is Risen!!

So far there are only a few "green" cemeteries and as of this date none in my state. The ones I've read about in the professional journals talk about places where a family can dig their own grave and inter the remains of their loved ones by themselves.

At this point, one can have a "green" burial in a regular cemetery if certain things are done to comply with the cemetery regulations. If one wants to have this type of burial, one ought to contact a funeral director in one's jurisdiction and explore any regulations that might need to be met. There are usually regulations set out by the cemetery, the state department of health, and any water authority in the region.

BOB

As for me, a plain pine box and no preservatives.

hawk

I feel the same.

It can be done without any obstacles. The only thing that may come up is a cemetery requirement for a caveproof container for that "plain pine box."

BOB

I'm with you on the plain box, except I think I would like oak. My I suggest checking out Trappist Caskets [trappistcaskets.com]; I personally like the simple rectangular oak.

I have included a picture of one "plain pine box" from a supplier in my own and my clients' offerings during the course of my carrier, just for those who think they want one. Interestingly, once people see it, they pass. It's a knotty pine veneer with a simple interior. It's usually the wife who decides against that option.

A real knotty pine casket--the genuine article--costs more than oak and I can't understand why except for the dearth of good pine wood.

There are some other websites that might interest Eastern Catholics and Orthodox Christians. There is a priest who makes caskets by hand on a site that I cannot put my fingers on now, but his work is first class.

One: www.monasteryofstjohn.org [monasteryofstjohn.org]


BOB

Gosh, I'd be perfectly happy for my son-in-law to go down to Home Depot, buy a sheet of wood, cut it, and nail it together.

I'm not thinking of a veneer, but a very simple wood box tha will rot as my body decomposes and returns to the earth. I'd even be OK with no box, except that the idea of things big enough to take bites kind of creeps me out

hawk

If you were like me, the things that could take bites would take one, spit it back out, and move on.



The FTC Funeral Rule says you can do that. The only drawback would be having anyone in a funeral home handle it. If it were possilbe that it might come apart and cause any employee injuries, it might not be something they'd handle. Then you'd have to have enough family members around to do all the carrying.

If you're old enough to remember the Foxfire books, there was a plan for building your own in one of them.

BOB

www.trappistcaskets.com [trappistcaskets.com]