Green Burial Actions We Can All Take Right Now
While we continue to anticipate the Townships establishing green burial sections within their existing cemeteries, it is important to remember that, up until now, outside of the winter months, when no burial of any kind is allowed in the County, cemeteries can already accommodate a number of green burial related requests.
Embalming is not mandatory nor is the use of concrete vaults or non-biodegradable caskets. If you or a loved one wish to be buried as green as possible, make that fact very clear to your family as well as funeral home and cemetery administrators. Putting your wishes in writing will eliminate any confusion down the road.
To help communicate the fact that there’s a growing demand for green/winter burial options to Township Councillors and Administrative staff, consider asking Township Cemetery Clerks to put you on a waiting list for plots within green burial sections that you’re looking to the Township to establish.
Since at least 70% of pre-pandemic deaths in the County resulted in cremation, policy makers are more inclined to support the purchase of columbaria, which house cremated remains, than in creating green/winter burial sections. The Covid-19 emergency measures have, if anything, resulted in an increase in the proportion of cremations. So, if we’re going to see continued movement toward more environmentally sustainable end-of-life dispositions, we’re going to have to make our desire for a fully-green alternative very clear to decision-makers.
By demonstrating to Councillors and senior township staff that there is demand for green burial sections, we can encourage them to support green/year-round burial initiatives. Please keep us in the loop with regard to any conversations you have with Councillors or staff about green/winter burial options and waiting lists.