Dying to be green: The necrogeography of green burial in the United States

Keywords: socio-ecological practice, green burial, death care, sustainable funerals, natural burial, conservation, necrogeography
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Tuesday
Session Start / End Time: 3/1/2022 08:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 3/1/2022 09:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 11

Abstract

This paper examines the necrogeography of the state of the practice of green burial regionally and across the United States. Green burial, also called natural or conservation burial, is a socio-ecological practice that simultaneously protects the environment and connects humans with each other and with the environment via simple, environmentally-conscious funerary practices-- forgoing embalming and placing the body in a biodegradable container such as a pine box, shroud, or basket. Questionnaires and interviews are used to 1) understand where and why green burial is/is not being offered, 2) uncover consumer trends, stories, and ideas that might influence death care providers’ decision whether or not to offer green burial, and 3) learn the strategies that cemetery owners and operators have employed to start and maintain a successful green burial practice. The goal of this research is to understand where and how green burial is provided in the Mid-Atlantic States of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. I uncover the requirements of a successful green burial practice, including collaboration, community engagement, compassion, and conservation. Finally, I highlight the nation-wide hurdles that prevent more places from offering green burial. Inspiration and motivation for this research come from close engagement with the Green Burial Council (GBC), a non-profit organization with the mission of increasing awareness of and accessibility to green burial.