Since this blog is about living a thriving green and sustainable life, contemplating the end of life is not the first topic that comes to mind. Of course we all will face our own demise some day, and, in my opinion, if I am an authentic human being, I will face my death with the same principles as I lived my life.
A new service in the Tampa Bay area gives a nice reason to fast forward our green life's journey to the end (at least in this world.) The Eternal Rest Memories Park and Funeral Home in Dunedin, FL (greenburialUSA.com) offers "Green Burials" that are friendly to earth and an interesting alternative to traditional burials or cremation. A person's remains, rather than being embalmed or cremated and encased in a casket, are dressed in a dignified shroud or favorite clothes, buried in the soil, and allowed to return to dust whence the person came. A tree can be planted in the final resting spot, and the person's remains can nourish the tree. The body is recycled.
Charles Scalisi, the owner of Eternal Rest, says that his service is unique in Florida and perhaps in the country. While there are a few other cemetaries that allow a green burial, he knows of no others that offer fully green funeral services on site.
The advantages of a green burial, aside from recycling that used-up body, is that it's cheaper than a conventional funerals, around $2,500 vs. $12,000, depending on the services offered, says Charles. And for those who recoil from the thought of cremation, this is a dignified approach and leaves a permanent final resting place for rememberance. And there's zero CO2 emissions.
Green burials are done in a special part of the cemetary, towards the back of the property near trees and away from the road. No stand-up head stones are allowed, and green burials don't need markers. In fact, Charles uses digital wireless technology to identify the final resting spot. A sensor encased in a round plastic ball is buried with the body and can be read by a device owned by the funeral home. Its manufacturer guarantees that the device will work for 150 years.
I did not ask Charles if the sensor was made from recycled plastic. I guess this plastic ball will be the closest we get to immortality on earth. At least that's a better legacy than leaving our plastic water bottles and disposable diapers to fester in landfills for centuries.
Call 727-733-2300 to find out more about green burials.
