Green burials aren’t exactly new – most burials prior to the mid-1800s would have been considered “green” or natural, with a body buried in a simple box or shroud. When embalming became the standard, this practice receded into the background — until now.
A grave dug for a green burial at the Baldwin Hill Conservation Cemetery in Fayette, Maine in January 2023. It's about 30 inches deep and pine boughs are laid in and alongside the grave. No concrete vault, steel or rare wood casket, or embalming chemicals are used at this cemetery.
Cathie Murray is one of the growing number of people opting for a green burial, and has purchased a burial plot at Baldwin Hill. Webster says the environmental benefits of a green burial are strong. While traditional or conventional burial produces an estimated 250 pounds of carbon, green burial sequesters 25 pounds of carbon, according to Green Burial Council. The body also releases nutrients back into the soil, including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Then there’s the added sequestration of greenhouse gases through land conservation for cemeteries like Baldwin Hill.
The Kennebec Land Trust Stewardship Director Jean-Luc Theriault says the grave is lined with pine boughs. But green burials come with a unique set of challenges. Without the embalming preservation, bodies need to be interred more quickly. And while there are 350 certified green burial cemeteries nationwide — and more that aren’t certified — many people don’t live close enough to one. And many local municipal cemeteries still require vaults in their bylaws.Conservation cemeteries, which have green burials located on preserved lands, require land acquisition and often getting land trusts on board.
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