Funeral Homes Going Green

Funeral homes today are starting to receive requests for what are known as “green burials”.  The National Funeral Director’s Association has identified a growing trend towards green burials–or burials that create a leaner carbon footprint and lower impact on the world around them. Whether these decisions are spiritual, philosophical or conservation-oriented, funeral homes are being asked to create an eco-friendly experience for an individual’s final journey.

At Mountain View Funeral Home, we strive to create an extension of your or your loved one’s life. While we are still researching options to provide environmentally friendly funerals, we can assist you with arrangements for locally-sourced and organic flowers and carpooling to and from the service and burial location, among other things.

Preparation

Funeral homes equipped for green burials can prepare in many ways: from recycling paper to use for the service cards to adopting ethical and sustainable business practices. Some funeral homes are starting to offer biodegradable caskets and urns as an alternative to more traditional burial methods. Your loved one’s body is prepared without toxic embalming fluids, which allows them to rejoin the circle of life without adding polluting chemicals to the environment that was so important to them. Non-toxic alternatives to formaldehyde-containing embalming chemicals are now readily available for funeral homes to use.

Alternative

At Mountain View Funeral Home, cremation and traditional burials are still the most widely requested options for disposition. Green burials are still new for funeral homes and most people are not even aware of this option as an alternative. You can learn more about green burial alternatives that some funeral homes offer by visiting GreenBurials.org.

If you are interested in preplanning a funeral or are currently in need of making funeral arrangement for a loved one, our staff at Mountain View Funeral Home is here to assist you. We believe in meeting your needs as much as possible, and will work with you to plan funeral arrangements that respectfully honor your wishes and the memory of the departed. You may contact us here for more information.