Eco friendly and Sustainable Funerals with Amanda-Louise Lady Funeral Directors

Our Greener Choices

Being environmentally conscious is important to us as well as to many of our clients. There are many ways to have a funeral less harmful to the environment. We are here to help you make greener choices at every stage. Here's our suggested step approach to green and eco-friendly funerals:-

No Embalming

Embalming the body uses chemicals that some argue are harmful to the environment.

Here at Amanda-Louise Lady Funeral Directors we do not embalm as routine when we prepare the body for the funeral and we would gently wash the body and leave them in their natural state. (But we are all about choices, so if you want embalming or its necessary then we can opt to use lower index embalming fluid, and offer a variety of options - and always obtain your written consent). As this is a specialist technique, we are proud to work with a local award winning professional embalmer.

Transport Choice

Rather than use the traditional hearse, consider the less fuel consumption of our adapted private hearse or we can hire an electric hearse for those who'd like to reduce the carbon footprint of their final journey.

Coffin Choice

We will talk you through the natural materials of liners and options of more sustainable materials of name plates. In our comprehensive range of coffins, we have shown the greener choices made from materials such as willow, cardboard, and wool, including those that are harvested and hand weaved here in Somerset. Even the hay that goes into the coffin pillow is sourced from their local fields. Or consider the wool felt shroud instead of a coffin. And from the wood range, our pine choice is the most sustainable option. We also can source the living coffin

Coffin Flowers

Our florists would opt to work with seasonable flowers using foam free or wire frames. A planted eco floral funeral wreath which will continue to flower after the ceremony on a grave is a kinder choice; its made onto a wire frame which can be repurposed and natural twine with moss. Those are better in the spring due to more colour and suitable bulb availability, whereas autumn or winter wreaths are planted with heathers or pansies and foliage plants.

Other coffin spray bases could be used with wicker or natural wood, and a posy using a biodegradable raffia binding is a good choice.

Using flowers that are locally sourced will be kinder on the environment, and also support locally businesses too.

An alternative is artificial silk flowers, rather than fresh, as the silk flowers will last a long time and can be repurposed.

We will always talk to you about how to recycle the flowers after the funeral, as well as if you want to have donations to a charity in memory, instead of flowers; although we know that flowers do bring much comfort at the funeral.

Here at Amanda-Louise Funerals, we help families to keep the cost down as well as kinder to the environment. So we offer coffin sprays and funeral letter tributes to hire, as well as to buy.

Natural Burial Woodland Sites

As an alternative to burial sites from churches and cemeteries in Somerset and Devon we work with our local registered burial woodlands which offer peaceful places in a natural setting. Typically there isnt any headstone or permanent marker, but offer the opportunity of living memorial becoming atone with the natural habitat. No embalming, biodegradable coffins and natural materials in clothing are a typical requirement. More families are choosing a natural woodland setting as they offer a peaceful setting for family to return to, if they wish.

If you'd rather have a cremation, we can help you have a burial of ashes ceremony in a burial woodland. Alternatively you could have a natural funeral in your own home or private land.

Click here to see our local woodland burial sites

Small Farewell Gathering

Have a smaller number of mourners attending the funeral, that way it will minimise travel where possible.

Headstones

If you opt for a traditional burial or want to have the cremated ashes buried, then choose not to have a headstone (or plaque) instead consider planting a tree in memory. We have a dedicated pathway, if required, in memory of the deceased whereby everyone can donate to plant trees in their memory.

Green Products for Ashes

If you have opted for a cremation instead of burial, we have a range of natural materials of urns and caskets to keep the cremated ashes in; which can be kept at home or buried in the ground. We can even supply urns so that the ashes become a living tree.

‍Resomation

You might not have heard of resomation yet, but you soon will.

The process is also sometimes called water cremation or aquamation, but its technical name is alkaline hydrolysis.

This is where alkaline hydrolysis of around 1,500 litres of water is mixed with a small amount of potassium hydroxide, and heated to extremely high temperatures. After four hours, the body is reduced to liquid. Just like with cremation, any remains are reduced to a white powder, similar to ash, which can then be scattered, kept or buried.

Many people haven't heard about resomation yet, as its not available in the UK yet but there are trials in Scotland taking place. This means for us in the West Country, we will have to wait a while before it is offered across the country.

Go Green Conclusion

Whilst cremations are the most popular choice in the UK, a natural burial is a greener solution.

If you either want more information on an eco funeral and woodland burials or want to know what to expect from green funeral services, get in touch with Amanda-Louise by calling 01643 800335. We are here to help lift the weight that losing a loved one brings by planning a well thought out and personal send off.