More Americans are rethinking what it means to leave a lighter footprint — right up to their final resting place. Green burials avoid embalming chemicals, metal caskets and concrete vaults, and instead use simple shrouds or biodegradable coffins. In some cases, graves are hand‑dug.
In a recent survey, the National Funeral Directors Association discovered increased interest in green burials. Two-thirds of people say they are interested in a more natural burial, with higher percentages of millennials and Gen Zers feeling that way.
Fourth‑generation funeral director Kurt Soffe says younger generations are driving the change, but still only about one in 10 deaths actually results in a green burial, according to Soffe.
That’s because of fear of death, a lack of pre-planning, local regulations, and limited knowledge of the environmental effects of traditional funerals.
It is an ongoing educational process as families become more comfortable speaking about dying and learning there are more environmentally friendly ways to say goodbye, Soffe said.
“For many, those questions remain a mystery and that's what I think is a stumbling block for many individuals that haven't had, we call it, the talk of a lifetime,” said Soffe. “Where you sit down and you talk about your wishes, your desires, your family, where would you like your remains. Whether that be cremation, whether that be burial, where would you like them to be and and is it important?”
