Ecological Impacts
of Cremation

Natural burial is the only way to ensure your body is decomposed in nature, supplying nutrients back to the earth. Any resources used must be biodegradable and not harm the environment. Conventional burial uses toxic chemicals for embalming to reduce the rate of decay. Embalming is used to preserve the body for a “viewing” service. The chemicals used in this process are very strong and toxic. Formaldehyde, menthol, phenol, and glycerin are just a few of the toxins that make up the embalming solution. It’s estimated that 800,000 gallons of formaldehyde are placed in the ground each year due to conventional burials.  

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Conventional burial takes up a lot of space. Research shows that if you add up the square footage of all the cemeteries in the U.S. it measures 1 million acres of land. Burial generally has a 10% higher environmental impact than cremation, as it is a more labour and resource-intensive process. Much of the emissions come from maintenance of the gravesite and cemetery lawns over the years.

Technological innovations, like mercury filtering equipment, are helping the cremation industry to reduce its carbon emissions further. To keep emissions low, only bio-board coffins are used. These are a type of environmentally-friendly product similar to a 'cardboard coffin'. These coffins have a lower carbon footprint to both make and cremate, compared with the glossy mahogany caskets commonly used in traditional funerals.