How green was my funeral?

At the recent funeral of actress Wendy Richard, much publicity was given to the fact that her coffin was made from woven bamboo, harvested from sustainable plantations. In Britain there are also specialist suppliers of coffins woven from sustainable willow.

Public awareness of the environmental impact of traditional funerals has risen steeply in recent years, and it is predicted that by 2010 “natural” burials will account for 12 per cent of all UK burials.

Partly because of the high cost and scarcity of traditional burial plots, the UK cremates 70 per cent of its dead — the highest figure in the world. But cremation is recognised as environmentally damaging, mainly through the release into the atmosphere of mercury from dental fillings, as well as toxic dioxins and furans.

Natural burial is often thought of as a green option for non-religious people, but according to researchers at the University of Sheffield, that is only part of the story. There are now over 200 natural burial grounds across the UK.

Some are extensions to local authority cemeteries and others are sites owned by charitable trusts or private individuals. The sites vary tremendously.

Some offer specific guidance as to which trees and wild flower seeds can be planted, but at others the dead are almost anonymous, with the burial field being cut for hay or grazed by sheep.

Some sites have created new ways of bringing the bereaved community together at the burial ground, for example, by conducting carol services or organising a summer garden fete with live music.

The research suggests that farmers who offer their land for burial are enthusiastic, as their new role requires them to open their door to a new community, and many remain a point of contact with the bereaved.

The overall environmental impact of traditional versus eco-funerals is difficult to calculate, as various factors need to be considered, such as the origin of floral tributes, distance and mode of transport to the funeral site, the frequency of grieving visits, the choice of headstone material and whether the grave is dug mechanically or by hand.

The different types of funeral do at least offer bereaved families a greater choice in the final resting place of their loved ones.