Eco-Friendly Funerals: Greener Choices in the Worth Valley

More families are asking how to make a funeral gentler on the environment, and the good news is there are plenty of meaningful choices available without needing to do anything unconventional.

The coffin

This is usually where the biggest difference is made. Alongside traditional timber, we offer coffins in willow, bamboo, seagrass and banana leaf, all woven from fast-growing, renewable materials. There are also sturdy, dignified cardboard coffins, which some families choose specifically because they can be decorated — children drawing on a grandparent’s coffin has been, in our experience, one of the more moving things a family can do together.

A common worry is that an eco coffin will look cheap or flimsy. They do not. Woven coffins in particular are beautiful objects, and many families choose them on looks alone.

Flowers

Imported flowers carry a substantial carbon cost. Seasonal British flowers from a local florist are a straightforward swap, and often look better for being of the moment. Some families ask for foliage and greenery from their own garden instead, which can be more personal than anything a shop can supply.

Asking for donations to charity in place of flowers is another route many families take.

Burial or cremation?

Neither is straightforwardly greener than the other. Cremation uses energy and produces emissions. Conventional burial uses land, and may involve embalming and a headstone quarried and transported some distance.

Natural burial is the option most people mean when they ask about a green funeral. Burial takes place in a woodland or meadow site, with a biodegradable coffin, no embalming, and typically a tree or wildflowers rather than a headstone. There are natural burial grounds within reach of the Worth Valley — ask us and we will talk you through what is available locally.

Embalming

Embalming is not a legal requirement, and for many funerals it is not necessary at all. It is worth asking whether it is needed in your circumstances rather than assuming it is standard. We will always give you an honest answer.

The smaller things

• Digital orders of service, or printing on recycled paper
• Fewer vehicles — asking people to share lifts to the crematorium
• Choosing a local crematorium rather than one many miles away
• Skipping the newspaper notice in favour of telling people directly

None of it is all or nothing

You do not have to do everything to make a difference, and a funeral is not the moment to be perfectionist about it. Choosing one willow coffin and some local flowers is a genuine choice, and a good one.

To talk through greener options for a funeral, call Robert on 07599 46 26 49, or have a look at our eco-friendly coffins page.