Environmentally Friendly Funeral Farewells

 Ninness Funeral Home
is an
Accredited Natural Burial Company

Greening Your Funeral Plans

Many of us have concerns about the depletion of the earth’s resources, sustainability, and the size of our own ‘carbon foot print’. So now more than ever is the time to be seriously exploring greener options in our lives. Times of death should be no exception.

Green Burials and the Ninness Funeral Home in Porirua and in the Kapiti Coast, support sustainable practises. Here are some ideas on how you might arrange a ‘greener’ funeral.

Eco-friendly embalming … or no embalming at all?

When instructed, embalming is carried out for viewing purposes. However more environmentally friendly embalming variations are available.. We also have a bio-degradable embalming fluid for occasions when embalming is required, shampoos and cleansers.

Embalming is not always necessary - even when your loved one is to be taken home. Consult with your funeral director for advice on what this might involve. Your options may vary depending on factors like the cause of death, the support you have and your ability to cope. (You may be asked to sign a disclaimer form).

Green and eco friendly alternatives for the care of a deceased person -

• Massage with rosemary oil for a pleasant aroma and to keep the skin soft

• Use salted water for cleansing

• Use ice packs or dry ice to keep the body cool

• Keep the viewing room comfortably cool

• At Ninness we have a cooler for use, when embalming is not wanted.

Natural Burials in New Zealand

In a Natural Burial the body is returned to the earth for the benefit of the environment and all concerned. Those of us who live in the greater Wellington area have access to the only Natural Burial Cemetery in New Zealand, at Makara. It is managed by Natural Burials Ltd and the Wellington City Council.

The requirements for a natural burial are-

• No embalming.

• Wider plots to allow space for a tree to be planted and flourish.

• Shallow plots to enable burials into the active soil layer.

• Aerobic, organically active soil is used to fill the grave in, to more quickly return the body’s nutrients to the ecosystem.

• The only monument allowed is an engraved wooden marker post which is supplied as part of Natural Burial’s fee. Records are kept by the Wellington City Council.

• There is a choice of 12 local trees available for planting on this natural grave with the idea of eventually returning the area to native bush.

• A casket must be made from untreated, sustainably grown wood. These are supplied by Natural Burials.

• A shroud may be used with a wooden support tray instead of a casket.

• The plot costs $2,650 for the Wellington City Council and $175 for Natural Burial’s registration fee.

Other Natural or Green Burial Options

If the Natural Cemetery at Makara seems too far away, then perhaps think about using your local cemetery and incorporate other environmentally friendly options.

Graves can be double depth allowing for burial of 2 family members together, thus taking up less land. Some cemeteries even have triple depth plots.

Eco-Friendly Cremations

Modern cremators have double burning capacity and therefore have extremely low emissions.

Ash burials contain no nutrients so while burial is an option, there will be no benefit to the environment.

Ashes may be scattered in a place of some significance or combined with soil in a pot plant.

Bio-degradable and eco-friendly caskets

We have a variety of bio-degradable caskets for you to choose from. They are made from -

• Wicker

• Sea grass

• Cardboard

• Solid Pine wood – untreated

These caskets are all sustainably grown and contain no glue, metal or chemicals of any kind.

These compliment the caskets in our regular range. Ask your funeral director for a look at our catalogue.

Other Green Ideas

• Print your song sheet on recycled paper.

• Instead of the traditional flowery casket spray, provide the florist with cut flowers from the garden, or sprigs of native bush. Lavender and rosemary have traditionally been associated with death and grief.

• Place a framed photo,  candle or cut flowers from the garden on the casket instead of the traditional floral arrangement.

• When using a cardboard or basic customwood casket, you may like to cover it with a pall (velvet casket cover) or a special piece of material, or decorate it yourself.

• All our vehicles run on bio fuels and are late model vehicles. If you want to use your own vehicle to transport the casket, use a late model vehicle which uses bio fuels or is a hybrid vehicle. Make sure the station wagon or van is large enough to contain the casket safely.

• Use a silk or cotton shroud or clothing to dress your loved one in.

• Avoid clothing which has non-biodegradable buttons and zips etc.

• Make sure any mementos placed in the casket are biodegradable.

• Catering doesn’t have to be a lavish affair. You could request, for example fresh, unprocessed food like fruit platters and vegetable dips.

… and the list goes on, limited only by your imagination and skill.