Did you know our deaths cause great pollution? That’s right… Even if you take great care of the planet and are an exemplary environmentalist, only taking the train, or eating organic, local and seasonal products, I regret to inform you that On the day of your funeral (or cremation), you will pollute the equivalent of a 4,000 km car trip! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
According to a 2017 study, when we die, Our funeral generates about 833 kg of CO2, the equivalent of a trip of several thousand kilometers by car, or 11% of the annual emissions of the average person.. So why do we pollute even when we die? In reality, it is not our death that pollutes, but the consequences…
11% of the emissions of a French person per year!
In France, people choose burial in 60% of cases. And the coffin is not an option, but an obligation. The interior and exterior composition of the coffin is very polluting: varnished or painted wood, synthetic interiors, metal handles and screws. The same happens with the grave, where the manufacture of the concrete vault consumes a lot of energy. Not to mention that stelae are usually imported from Asia, and therefore are very polluting.
To reduce the environmental footprint, It is best to opt for underground burial. This solution is less polluting than cremation, which generates 233 kg of CO2 on average. Crematoriums release dioxins and mercury into the air during cremations. Since 2018, crematoriums have been required to install filters in their chimneys.
What happens when we die? What science knows so far
Beyond burial or cremation, there is simply the care of the corpse, which is extremely polluting.. France and the United Kingdom are the only 2 countries in Europe that continue to allow the use of formaldehyde. The products used in thanatopraxy – although it is not mandatory – end up on the ground, in addition to our clothes, jewelry and implants… Because no, concrete vaults are not 100% airtight.
What are “zero waste” funerals?
To respect the environment, even during our last trip, we must take into account all the steps described above. Choose a local wooden coffin and dress the deceased with as many natural fibers as possible. And, of course, no thanatopraxy. Even graves have to be dug by hand…
There are other alternatives to traditional burial/cremation. Humusation, for example, allows it to become compost, “reintegrating the human body into the cycle of life”. Unfortunately, this process is not yet authorized in many countries. Neither is the promise, whose objective is to transform the body into powder to fertilize the earth after immersing it in liquid nitrogen.
Death would be “programmed” by our biological clock, according to Harvard scientists
Unlike incineration, aquamation consists of Immerse the deceased in a mixture of water and an alkaline product. This liquid is heated to 150°C to dissolve all human tissues. All that remains are the bones, which can be crushed and placed in a funeral urn. According to the British company Resomation, this method consumes 5 times less energy than incineration. Again, this process is only legal in certain countries.
