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Green funeral - anybody planned for one?

PennyForThem_2
PennyForThem_2 Posts: 1,036 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
edited 21 November 2023 at 11:28AM in Deaths, funerals & probate
I am interested in a green funneral and I just wondered if anybody had any experience of either having planned for one themselves or having sorted out one for a departed?

What were your experiences?
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Comments

  • *Subscribes to thread*
    I've specified an eco- friendly burial in my will so will be watching with interest! I'm only 34 so hopefully won't need the info any time soon but it's useful to know all the same.
    They call me Dr Worm... I'm interested in things; I'm not a real doctor but I am a real worm. :grin:
  • SailorSam
    SailorSam Posts: 22,754 Forumite
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    Liverpool is one of the wonders of Britain,
    What it may grow to in time, I know not what.

    Daniel Defoe: 1725.
  • thorsoak
    thorsoak Posts: 7,166 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    My dear OH hated the thought of cremation and we knew that we have a green burial site locally, so his funeral was relatively green - a plain, unvarnished green pine coffin with hemp rope handles, no brass plate - just very, very simple.

    The green burial site is quite new - overlooking the estuary, with a tree planted for each burial (we chose a walnut tree). We've planted a few plants that will naturalise and are in keeping with the environment. Eventually this will become a lovely woodland area where the only grass cutting will be to leave a few paths for people to walk along to their loved ones' graves. It's a lovely peaceful place - and this was all arranged by our local funeral directors.

    It was not too expensive - although had we elected for a cardboard or a wicker coffin that would have pushed the costs up considerably.
  • Yes I find it amazing that a cardboard coffin can be as expensive as a wood one with brass handles!

    Wicker I can alsmost understand as it is woven basketwork.

    Ok - need to look at local sites then

    Really helpful post thorsoak
  • I did this for my mum last year. I bought a wool coffin, which came with woollen nameplates that I embroidered with her name and meaningful pictures. We had fair trade and local flowers and used a beautiful woodland burial site. It was very simple but poignAnt, and it felt very individual rather than part of the conveyor belt that is our local crematorium
  • i to have used a woolen coffin they are very nice indeed and made from all yorkshire wool.
  • lamplady, fishdude - any links? Those sound like the sort of thing my mum would prefer.
  • Corelli
    Corelli Posts: 664 Forumite
    We are investigating this and a good place to start is The Natural Death Centre http://www.naturaldeath.org.uk/index.php?page=find-a-natural-burial-site


    VEGAN for the environment, for the animals, for health and for people


    "Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." ~Albert Schweitzer
  • sarahemmm
    sarahemmm Posts: 116 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    I googled around and found https://www.goodfuneralguide.co.uk which seems very helpful. They have links to coffin sales (including woollen ones and shrouds) and recommended funeral directors.
  • A family member of mine recently received an eco-friendly funeral (which was also a Humanist Service) and the costs were a lot higher than I imagined..... higher even I think, than the deceased had realised.
    First of all, no embalming fluid could be used, so viewing was not recommended by the funeral director, so there was a monetary saving there.
    Even so, the plot itself (which was in a natural burial ground) was a little over TWICE the price of a Council cemetery plot, and could only be used for ONE burial.
    The coffin was wicker basket and cost £1400... we used only the basic services of the funeral director and £150 for the Humanist officiant and the total price was as near as makes no difference to £5000.
    The deceased was known to believe an eco-friendly funeral would "keep the cost down", but I think it was quite expensive for what was a low-key funeral. One limousine, hearse, no flowers.
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