Green burials have arrived in Canada. Instead of a metal casket placed in a vault lined with concrete, environmentally aware Canadians will soon have the opportunity to choose to be buried in biodegradable boxes or cloth shrouds.
Later this year, Royal Oak Burial Park in Victoria opens its natural burial site, which is the first of its kind in Canada. And in Guelph, Ont., the green burial movement is gathering speed.
The cost of an eco-friendly burial is not much less than a traditional one and there are positive environmental impacts.
As the popularity of environmentally friendly burials increases, some wonder if traditional coffins and tombstones will become a thing of the past.
The Salvation Army’s position on responsibility for the environment says: “Salvationist as individuals and The Salvation Army as an organization should accept responsibility for the environment by taking practical steps to regenerate and conserve God’s creation.”
Natural Burial Around the World
The modern concept of natural burial began in the UK in 1993 and has since spread across the globe. According the Centre for Natural Burial, http://naturalburial.coop there are now several hundred natural burial grounds in the United Kingdom and half a dozen sites across the USA, with others planned in Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and even China.
A natural burial allows you to use your funeral as a conservation tool to create, restore and protect urban green spaces.
The Centre for Natural Burial provides comprehensive resources supporting the development of natural burial and detailed information about natural burial sites around the world. With the Natural Burial Co-operative newsletter you can stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the rapidly growing trend of natural burial including, announcements of new and proposed natural burial sites, book reviews, interviews, stories and feature articles.
The Centre for Natural Burial