Learn about some of the issues with what the funeral industry calls traditional deathcare and explore choices people can make now to make more environmentally friendly green(er) choices.
Cemeteries contain embalmed bodies filled with toxic chemicals, often contained in steel or wood coffins, and those are encased again in a heavy concrete vault. Cemeteries are also running out of space. People here in New England expect “perpetual care” meaning that a body will stay undisturbed in that grave forever. These traditional burials are not the most environmentally friendly option.
Cremation is now the most common choice for body disposition in the country. But that is not without its own problems. Crematoriums use fossil fuels. Bodies have plastic and often toxins in them and are often dressed in clothing made of plastic. During cremation toxic gasses are released into the air we breathe.
However, there are options available for green burials that do not involve embalming, and use a biodegradable container instead of a traditional coffin and burial vault. Learn about the options to make informed choices related to deathcare.
Join us for a conversation with Patti Muldoon, a facilitator for the final chapter of life through deathcare. Patti’s three roles intertwine around matters of aging and death. She is President of Funeral Consumers Alliance of Eastern Massachusetts – a volunteer-run organization promoting a consumer’s right to choose dignified, meaningful and affordable after-death care. Patti is also an active certified Death Doula, and the Aging Resources Coordinator for New England Quakers. Patti gives presentations and leads workshops on living in the shadow of death and for managing disposition of the body. She facilitates life-celebrations and memorials. She has also compiled a manual as a guide for advance planning for serious illness and for after-death care.