Health Administration (OSHA). An exception is made for generalized nuisance limits for dusts and mists. ○ Products cannot contain chemical ingredients that through their intrinsic course of action evolve or release a chemical ingredient as previously defined. ○ Products must contain only chemical ingredients that are fully disclosed on a material safety data sheet (MSDS) and cannot contain any chemical ingredient described as a “trade secret.” ○ In any case of conflicting evidence or equivocal documentation, the Green Burial Council reserves the right to deny or suspend its certification. In traditional burials, as the buried body decays, bodily fluids and formaldehyde may leak from the caskets and vaults, potentially contaminating groundwater. The bigger threat from formaldehyde, however, may be to funeral workers. In 2004, the International Agency for Research on Cancer released information regarding exposure to formaldehyde, suggesting the possibility of a heightened risk of nasopharyngeal cancer or leukemia among embalmers. 15 Research sponsored by the National Cancer Institute is currently reviewing funeral worker data to determine whether they have a higher risk of malignancies of the lymphatic and central nervous systems. 16 Another incentive for green burials is the scarcity of land. Farmland and natural areas are both under pressure. Every minute, the U.S. loses 2 acres of agricultural land to development, 17 with the amount of land purchased for residential and commercial development increasing at almost three times the rate of population growth. 18 Cemeteries require the addition of two square miles for new grave space each year. 19 Being buried in a green cemetery is environmentally neutral or friendly because: ● They do not accept metal or hardwood caskets, cement vaults or headstones, significantly reducing the earth’s resources that are buried with each body. ● Bodies are not embalmed with formaldehyde or prepared with other chemicals, which protects groundwater from toxins and the health of funeral employees. ● Green cemeteries work to preserve natural habitat and wilderness areas instead of altering and manicuring landscapes with non-native plants or grasses that use large amounts of water and chemical fertilizers. be determined in part by the specific laws governing the funeral and burial trades in your state. Helping family members locate hard-to-find resources provides a much-needed service. While other local funeral directors may be reluctant to offer biodegradable caskets or open their business to visitation services without having the body embalmed first, you will be able to comfortably discuss these new options with family members. The following sections outline some common green funeral and burial options to consider. a period of time and are then cremated. For more on organ donation, see the following sites: ○ OrganDonor.gov (www.organdonor.gov) ○ Donate Life America (http://donatelife.net/) ○ National Living Donor Assistance Center (http://www.livingdonorassistance.org) ● Offering alternatives to a cement vault or grave liner. Buried around the casket, vaults are designed to prevent the ground from sinking in when the casket and body decompose. While state laws don’t require it, many cemeteries require either a vault with a lid or a simpler grave liner. Some require caskets to be made out of specific materials. Avoid restrictions on the types of caskets
on a material safety data sheet (MSDS) and cannot contain any chemical ingredient described as a “trade secret.” ○ In any case of conflicting evidence or equivocal documentation, the Green Burial Council reserves the right to deny or suspend its certification. ● Category 2 : Postmortem chemicals: ○ Products cannot contain chemical ingredients that are toxic or otherwise classified as hazardous with accompanying mandatory reportable limits of exposure as defined and listed by the Occupational Safety and Principles of green burials One of the primary principles of green burial is burying less. A traditional cemetery buries approximately 1,000 bodies per acre. This high density means that a typical 10-acre cemetery contains enough casket wood to build more than 40,000 homes, more than 900 tons of casket steel, 20,000 tons of concrete vaults and enough embalming fluid to fill a small backyard swimming pool. 11 Wooden caskets are typically made from hardwoods, and few are made from forest stewardship certified (FSC) wood, which guarantees the wood was harvested from sustainably managed forests. Maintaining forest ecosystems are critical to healthy environments; they filter air, stabilize climate by absorbing CO2 and provide habitat for 90 percent of all land- dwelling plant and animal species. The use of steel caskets and steel- and copper-reinforced vaults are considered detrimental to the environment because all metals are mined from the earth and are nonrenewable resources. The extraction and processing of these resources contributes to the 1 billion to 2 billion tons of mine waste that accumulate annually, and pollutes more than 3,400 miles of streams and more than 440,000 acres of land. 12 To compound the problem, burying all that steel diverts 90,000 tons from recycling each year. 13 In contrast, a green cemetery holds 70 to 90 percent fewer bodies per acre, and each is buried in a cloth shroud or in a simple biodegradable casket made of pine or other recycled materials. 14 This low density allows the cemetery to restrict burials on ecologically sensitive areas. Drainage spots, streams, dense wooded areas and areas needing restoration are left undisturbed. How to assist clients in arranging a green funeral and burial Traditionally, it is the funeral director who helps the family make decisions about a memorial and burial. Those who refuse to offer a green service option may lose out to competitors who are more willing to be flexible in meeting these consumer needs. Your ability to arrange or assist with a green funeral and burial depends to some extent on what services are available in your area. Eco-friendly cemeteries are few and far between in the United States (although growing in popularity). You will find some natural funeral options require a much greater investment in resources than others. Your ability to adopt these practices will Services associated with green funerals The following services are associated with green funerals: ● Assisting with preneed organ and body donation. Fitting into the green category of reuse, organ and body donation delays the burial of the remains while making them available to others for valuable uses. Organs and tissue can be removed at the time of death and provide the living with prolonged and better quality of life. After the organs and tissue are removed, the funeral can then proceed as planned. Whole body donation to medical schools or research facilities is also possible. Medical schools need bodies to teach future health care workers about anatomy, and research facilities use them to study diseases and find cures. These bodies are used for
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