For a long time, in my previous life as a funeral director, sustainable options for a body after death felt limited. Burial in a cemetery or cremation in a retort—those were the standard choices. And while they still serve many families, they don’t resonate with everyone.

A growing number of people are very intentional about their impact on the environment, weaving sustainability into their daily lives.

It makes sense that they would want their final ‘resting place’ to reflect those same values. Their families, too, want the option to honour them in a way that feels like them.

I’ve been watching the growing shift toward eco-friendly alternatives with keen interest. Here are four of the most interesting options:

🌿 Green Burial – A natural return to the earth, green burials avoid embalming chemicals and non-biodegradable materials, allowing the body to decompose naturally and nourish the surrounding environment.

💧 Aquamation (Alkaline Hydrolysis) – A water-based process that gently accelerates natural decomposition without the emissions of flame cremation, making it a more sustainable alternative.

🌱 Human Composting – Pioneered by companies like Recompose in the U.S., this process transforms remains into nutrient-rich soil. That soil may be used to grow new life by the family or can be donated to conservation land efforts. It may be years before this becomes available in Canada.

🌊 Memorial Reefs – Organizations like Eternal Reefs incorporate cremated or aquamation remains into artificial reef structures, helping to restore marine ecosystems and create lasting underwater legacies.

This shift toward sustainability isn’t just about the environment. It’s about meaning. A thoughtful decision reflects the values of the person being honoured, allowing their memory to live on in a way that feels aligned with who they were. It’s a powerful way to weave their story into the fabric of the world they left behind.

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