Why This Work Matters
There is a growing movement toward more environmentally sustainable, community-centered approaches to death care, restoring agency and participation for families and communities in caring for their deceased loved ones. A shift in focus from corporate transactions to holistic, sustainable, and empowering experiences, supporting culturally relevant, personalized rituals that reflect diverse beliefs and traditions while caring for the earth.
Background
The modern funeral industry in the United States emerged during the Civil War (1861–1865), driven by the need to embalm and transport bodies home across long distances. Over time, embalming became standard practice, contributing to the rise of funeral homes, manufactured caskets, and the increasing professionalization—and corporatization—of post-death care.
Prior to the 19th century, death care was largely home-centered and family-directed. Loved ones, often women, prepared the body, held vigils and wakes in the home, and arranged burial in churchyards or family plots.
Today, as a society, we have lost familiarity and comfort with death, caring for bodies at home, and holding vigil with the body before burial or cremation. For many people, it is standard to delegate all aspects of death care to funeral or cremation providers—often without awareness of alternatives or of their rights to participate more directly.
As with many other industries, 20th century industrialization further corporatized funeral industry practices and capitalized industry-related products.
Protecting the Places We Love
The environmental impacts of conventional burial and cremation practices are significant and often underrecognized. Traditional burial commonly relies on embalming fluids containing toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, along with phenol and other compounds. An estimated 800,000 gallons of formaldehyde are buried annually in the United States. Over time, these substances can leach into soil and groundwater, posing risks to ecosystems and public health.
In addition, the production of caskets and burial vaults consumes substantial natural resources, including hardwoods, metals, and concrete, contributing to deforestation, habitat degradation, and carbon emissions. Conventional cemetery maintenance—typically involving irrigated lawns, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers—further impacts soil health, water systems, and biodiversity.
Cremation is often perceived as a more environmentally friendly alternative; however, it also carries a significant environmental footprint. The process requires high temperatures (approximately 1,600°F) sustained over several hours, consuming fossil fuels and generating emissions. A single cremation is estimated to produce approximately 500 pounds of carbon dioxide, along with other pollutants including nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and mercury released from dental fillings. While modern filtration systems reduce some emissions, they do not eliminate greenhouse gases.
