What is a Green Funeral/Burial?
A Green Funeral is post-death care to disposition through natural means from start to finish. A Green Burial allows full body interment into the ground in a manner that does not inhibit decomposition. The three top defining characteristics of any green burial are the absence of a vault, non-toxic preparation of the body, and the use of containers made of organic and decomposable materials. Green burial funerals provide families with a rich, meaningful, and healing experience while furthering legitimate environmental and societal aims such as protecting worker health, reducing carbon emissions, conserving natural resources, and preserving habitat.
What is a Home Funeral?
A Home Funeral is one that precedes the burial as a way to care for the body with natural, non-invasive procedures, such as dry-ice, Techni-ice, cooling blankets, or other methods. Families and friends or spiritual community care teams bathe and dress the body at home, sometimes staying 1-3 days, depending on what the family wants and the burial schedule permits. If you need assistance with planning a Home Funeral, contact Robertson Funeral and Cremation Service.
Why would someone choose green burial over conventional burial, cremation, or other method?
As people look for more eco-friendly, affordable, and personally meaningful ways to do just about everything, Green Burial and the natural processes leading up to disposition, mirrors for many the way in which they strived to live their lives - environmentally responsible and in harmony with nature. For some, green burial represents the closing of the circle between birth and death by being buried without any encumbrances or impediments, signaling a return to the simpler burial practices that have been interrupted for less than a hundred years. One of the major reasons people are drawn to green burial is its roots in tradition: up until the Civil War, everyone was buried this way.
Are Green Burials safe?
Concerns about water contamination are taken very seriously, and green burial cemeteries undergo rigorous multi-disciplinary scientific scrutiny and testing at both the local and state levels. Parameters are strictly enforced, including distance from known drinking water sources and other infrastructure. Nothing filters better than soil.
Will Green Burials attract animals that could dig up the bodies?
There has been no evidence whatsoever that animals are attracted to natural burial sites, despite the presence of dogs, coyotes, or other wildlife. The 18+ inch distance between the dead body and the surface - called the smell zone - is sufficient to keep animals from being interested.
How can we be sure the grave site will be protected from development in the future, or from getting "overgrown"?
A percentage of the sales price goes into a permanent endowment for the care of the space. Once native vegetation is in place, it is free to grow. The endowment mainly functions to keep trails and public spaces open. It also helps keep invasive species at bay, and helps in special circumstances such as after a natural disaster. State laws are also specific about banning development of dedicated cemeteries. Kings Mountain Preserve is protected by a conservation easement with Upstate Forever, the largest land-trust in upstate South Carolina.
What if I have a medical prosthesis or medical device? Will it have to be removed?
While we want as little non-biodegradable material buried as possible, it is not practical or ecologically important to remove such things as dental fillings, heart valves, hips, knees, etc. If you have concerns about this, you can contact us for further information.
Do you have a question not answered here? Contact us by email or call 877-375-2495.
A Green Funeral is post-death care to disposition through natural means from start to finish. A Green Burial allows full body interment into the ground in a manner that does not inhibit decomposition. The three top defining characteristics of any green burial are the absence of a vault, non-toxic preparation of the body, and the use of containers made of organic and decomposable materials. Green burial funerals provide families with a rich, meaningful, and healing experience while furthering legitimate environmental and societal aims such as protecting worker health, reducing carbon emissions, conserving natural resources, and preserving habitat.
What is a Home Funeral?
A Home Funeral is one that precedes the burial as a way to care for the body with natural, non-invasive procedures, such as dry-ice, Techni-ice, cooling blankets, or other methods. Families and friends or spiritual community care teams bathe and dress the body at home, sometimes staying 1-3 days, depending on what the family wants and the burial schedule permits. If you need assistance with planning a Home Funeral, contact Robertson Funeral and Cremation Service.
Why would someone choose green burial over conventional burial, cremation, or other method?
As people look for more eco-friendly, affordable, and personally meaningful ways to do just about everything, Green Burial and the natural processes leading up to disposition, mirrors for many the way in which they strived to live their lives - environmentally responsible and in harmony with nature. For some, green burial represents the closing of the circle between birth and death by being buried without any encumbrances or impediments, signaling a return to the simpler burial practices that have been interrupted for less than a hundred years. One of the major reasons people are drawn to green burial is its roots in tradition: up until the Civil War, everyone was buried this way.
Are Green Burials safe?
Concerns about water contamination are taken very seriously, and green burial cemeteries undergo rigorous multi-disciplinary scientific scrutiny and testing at both the local and state levels. Parameters are strictly enforced, including distance from known drinking water sources and other infrastructure. Nothing filters better than soil.
Will Green Burials attract animals that could dig up the bodies?
There has been no evidence whatsoever that animals are attracted to natural burial sites, despite the presence of dogs, coyotes, or other wildlife. The 18+ inch distance between the dead body and the surface - called the smell zone - is sufficient to keep animals from being interested.
How can we be sure the grave site will be protected from development in the future, or from getting "overgrown"?
A percentage of the sales price goes into a permanent endowment for the care of the space. Once native vegetation is in place, it is free to grow. The endowment mainly functions to keep trails and public spaces open. It also helps keep invasive species at bay, and helps in special circumstances such as after a natural disaster. State laws are also specific about banning development of dedicated cemeteries. Kings Mountain Preserve is protected by a conservation easement with Upstate Forever, the largest land-trust in upstate South Carolina.
What if I have a medical prosthesis or medical device? Will it have to be removed?
While we want as little non-biodegradable material buried as possible, it is not practical or ecologically important to remove such things as dental fillings, heart valves, hips, knees, etc. If you have concerns about this, you can contact us for further information.
Do you have a question not answered here? Contact us by email or call 877-375-2495.
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Kings Mountain Preserve
321 Indian Springs Rd. Blacksburg, SC 29702 office: 877-375-2495 Have questions? Email KMP Join us on Facebook: |
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