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Eternal Compost
It's over five years since my daughters, my son and I held a Do-It-Yourself funeral and burial at home for my husband, their father. It was a beautiful and unique experience, out of which much has arisen. For one thing, people have contacted me to say how much they would like to be buried in the same simple way. Some ask how hard was it to get permission, surely there's lots of legislation around it, they ask? There's actually surprisingly little and what there is has only common sense behind it: provided the body of the deceased is handled with dignity and is clothed respectably, (what constitutes 'respectable' is left to the imagination), and that the burial, if it is not in an established graveyard, does not pose a polluting hazard to a water source, or a drainage system and that the body can be buried deep enough to prevent predatory animals from digging down to it. Simple stuff.
Traditional funerals
All of the latter would be no trouble to the average organic gardener or a person sensitive to the need to protect the environment. I'd like to offer you the opportunity to look at the ultimate in organic composting. Most funeral directors are a fairly conservative breed who may offer to embalm the deceased, especially if the burial is to be more than a couple of days after the death. Strictly speaking, bodies are seldom embalmed in the true sense of the word. Simply, they are treated by techniques and substances that sanitise the body to retard the decomposition process, thus avoiding unacceptable odours and discoloration. Most of the substances used would not pass muster with any organic certification authority - although it's possible to develop some that would. There's no legislation to say that a body must be buried in a box - nor, of course, what kind of box. MDF - a common material for coffins, disguised with hardwood veneer - has harmful chemicals in it. Plastic varnishes, metal fittings are all undesirable, so far as the environment is concerned,
Biodegradable coffins
Ecopods are coffins with a difference. Constructed to a design that has no angles or sharp edges, lined with natural fibre cloth and padding, in several colourful and beautiful finishes - including a white one which can be painted before burial - the Ecopod is made entirely from environmentally friendly materials that biodegrade fairly rapidly. A coffin has been designed by basketmakers that's woven from sally rods. It's strong, biodegradable and has the appearance of a Moses' Basket. These have been popular for some time in any of the 150 or so 'green' or 'woodland' burial sites in the UK. These areas have been set aside for people with ecological awareness who would prefer to be laid in Earth, often without a commemorative stone, but with a tree or bush, instead. It is also possible, provided there is no memorial erected without Planing Permission, for burials take place on private land that has not been formally designated a burial ground. In other words, for people to be buried at home, as my husband was. It is recommended - though not a legal requirement - that the site of the burial is marked on the map with the deeds of the property.
Green graveyards
Of course, not everyone can be buried at home who would like to be. For these and for people for whom the customary graveyards and ceremonies would be inappropriate, it's time we had green, or woodland graveyards here, in Ireland. In case you're wondering, cremation is not an acceptable alternative to burial for the ecologically conscious: too many noxious fumes, including dioxins are released into the atmosphere.
Final rest
At a time when more people are taking responsibility for their own and the Planet's health, it makes sense to give consideration to the last resting place. Life Wills - the sort to be read before you die - are becoming more common and will, ultimately, be accepted as legal documents. Write one. State how and, if possible, where you would like to be buried and how you wish your body to be treated. Remember, those who mourn your passing need some sort of ceremony to mark the event. You can help them by saying how, or by whom, the occasion might be conducted. Name the tree or bush you'd like to be planted over you instead of a memorial stone. Allow your remains to return to Mother Earth at no risk to Herself - be perfect compost!
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