Saying Goodbye the Green Way

Can you help protect the Earth even after you’re no longer on it? You can by choosing an eco-friendly process to deal with the body you’ve left behind, say the folks at Fort Myers based ECO-Green Cremation System.

Natural cremation uses alkaline hydrolysis to speed up the decomposition process. A solution of potash lye and water combined with high pressure and high temperature creates a chemical reaction that completely liquefies the corpse, leaving only bone residue, any implants or prosthetics the deceased may have had, and a sterile fluid that can actually act as a fertilizer.

Opting for a natural cremation over a standard fire-based one can have serious environmental benefits. According to ECO-Green Cremation System, which manufactures the equipment needed for the alkaline hydrolysis process, a natural cremation cuts natural gas usage by 90 percent, electricity usage by 66 percent, and carbon dioxide emissions by 90 percent. The end result is a carbon footprint 18 times smaller than that of a fire-based cremation.

And there may be no better time than now for people to become aware of an alternative. Cremation rates have been on the rise and look to continue on that path, according to the Cremation Association of North America. In 1985, 14.9 percent of deaths resulted in cremation. In 2007, that number had risen to 34.34 percent, and forecasts call for more than half of all deaths to result in cremation by 2025.

“The number-one reason for that is that people are more transient,” says James Olson, funeral director and owner of Lippert-Olson Funeral Home in Wisconsin and spokesperson for the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). “Having everybody close to have a traditional funeral is a scenario that we’re seeing fewer and farther between.” Cultural and religious considerations also come into play, as does cost; cremation can cost less than a traditional burial.