What are the Environmental Impacts of Cremation vs Traditional Burial?
In this day and age, people are becoming more and more aware of their impact on the environment. Taking care of the planet is becoming a priority for many, and there are multiple ways that each of us can do better in this regard. As a matter of fact, you can even change your environmental footprint when you’re making plans for your final arrangements, or for those of a loved one. Choosing cremation services near Lake Nona, FL is one way that you can make a difference when it comes to how your actions affect our planet. While it is possible to have a “green” burial, the methods of traditional burial are quite a bit more impactful on the earth than those of cremation.
For one thing, burial requires much greater use of land than cremation. Cemeteries are becoming overcrowded, and more land is required over the years. When a person is cremated, their remains take up very little space. Many people don’t bury cremated remains, but even if they do, the required amount of land is minimal compared with that of a traditional burial.
Another negative aspect of traditional burial is the harmful chemicals that can enter the earth. Many people who are buried have been embalmed, which uses harmful substances like formaldehyde. With burial, these toxins can enter the soil over time and affect the local ecosystem. Additionally, many caskets are treated with chemicals that prevent the wood from breaking down quickly. These chemicals are known toxins that are harmful to the soil. Fortunately, there are more eco-friendly alternatives. You can find biodegradable caskets and shrouds for burial, and you can avoid the harmful embalming chemicals by choosing more natural methods of preservation before burial. Alternatively, you can choose cremation services, which do not allow any of those harmful substances to enter the soil at all.
Traditional burial uses a large number of natural resources, as well. There are valuable hardwoods and metals that go into the making of caskets. Rather than being put to use, they are buried underground and left to decompose. Some of the materials will never break down at all. It is said that in some cemeteries, there is enough wood buried to build an entire neighborhood’s worth of homes. With cremation services, none of these valuable resources are necessary, even if the cremated remains are to be buried.
Cremation is not a perfect process, and it does have its own drawbacks when it comes to the environment. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are released during the cremation process, and these are known to contribute to accelerated climate change. However, with all things considered, the effects of cremation services on the environment are much less than those of traditional burial. If your loved one had a passion for taking care of our planet, you may want to consider cremation services near Lake Nona, FL, as a way to minimize the ecological impacts of their disposition and final arrangements. You may want to consider the same for yourself, as well. Then you can feel confident knowing that you have made a positive contribution to our planet for future generations.
