Burial or cremation?

[metaphours]

This is a pretty morbid thread, I know, but I felt like doing it anyway; just for teh lulz.

Personally, I'd rather be cremated, then have my urn (as opposed to having my ashes scattered) be dropped into the depths of the South China Sea, off the coast of Hong Kong.

[Sytpg]

Cremated. There's no way I'm taking any chances.

[Haight]

Donation.

[metaphours]

Originally Posted by Sytpg

Cremated. There's no way I'm taking any chances.

I know, right?

[Sky is BLUE!]

Originally Posted by Haight

Donation.

That + cremation.

Unless Haight meant donating your body to research. I wouldn't like some medical students playing with my carcass forever.

I'd like to donate parts of my body that can be used to help people and then be cremated. I'd be OK with my ashes dumped to a hole in a graveyard but not in an urn. I'd like to be able to mix with the soil. Hehe. Nice thread.

[ThatGirl]

I have absolutely no preference for what happens to my dead body. I wouldn't know the difference anyway.

On a side note, wouldn't it be creepy if on some level we were aware of what was happening to us after death?

[Matthew_Z]

And I'm NOT allowed to preserved for future generations?

-insert random trivia about Mao favoring his body be cremated in order to advance society-

[metaphours]

Originally Posted by Sky is BLUE!

I'd like to donate parts of my body that can be used to help people and then be cremated.

I think you what you mean is you'd like to be an organ donor, haha.

[Haight]

Originally Posted by Sky is BLUE!

That + cremation.

Unless Haight meant donating your body to research. I wouldn't like some medical students playing with my carcass forever.

I meant organ donation + cremation.

[iwakar]

The push for "alternative" and "eco-friendly" funeral services is growing. I was really interested in this a year back and did a lot of web-searching and reading on what was becoming available out there. Are you familiar with these and would you consider doing it? My personal favorite is the last option.

Biodegradable Urns, various links:
Biodegradable Urns | Green Urns | Scattering Cremation Urns for Ashes
Biodegradable Urns
Biodegradable Urns, Biodegradable Cremation Urns for Eco-friendly Folks


Special mention for Batesville Cremation Urns - The Reflections Series:
Reflections Series Cremation Urns<BR>Biodegradable


Arka Ecopods:
Recycled Paper Coffin :: Ecopod
the Natural Burial Company - USA: ecopod
Go Green Even If You’re Dead: ARKA Ecopod @greenUPGRADER
& Acorn Urn

Compakta Coffins:
Compakta Homepage


Ecocoffins:
Coffins - Environmentally friendly customised cardboard eco-coffins & custom picture caskets


There are also caskets made of willow, seagrass, and bamboo.

Coffin Covers:
Funeral Search - The Coffin Cover


OnEarth Australia:
OnEarth Australia - Environmentally Friendly Cardboard Funeral Caskets


Promessa AB Ecological Funeral:
http://www.promessa.se/doc/Ekobegr_eng.pdf

Within a few days after death the body is frozen in liquid nitrogen. This makes the body very brittle. The body is then slightly vibrated which turns the body into a powder. A vacuum chamber is then used to evaporate away any water so that the powder is dry. The powder is then placed in a small corn or potato starch coffin and is buried to decompose within a few months. This reduces the environmental impact on water, air and soil compared to a normal burial or cremation.

Biodegradable Shrouds:
Kinkaraco - Green Burial Shrouds, Biodegradable Burial Shroud (featured in HBO's Six Feet Under)
A Fine Farewell &ndash; Custom, Handmade, Biodegradable Burial & Cremation Shrouds


The idea of vertical burial is gaining traction in several countries due to limited space.
Darlington will have Australia's first vertical cemetery | Weird True Freaky | News.com.au

Memorial Groves for scattering ashes:
http://www.fpc.unc.edu/Portals/0/Doc...20Brochure.pdf

Scattering ashes at sea:
Sea Burial, Burial at Sea

Underwater Burial Reefs:
Eternal Reefs' Eco-Friendly Burials at Sea Coming to a Coast Near You - Associated Content


Finally, my fave is Capsula Mundi:
Capsula Mundi
Inhabitat

The Capsula Mundi is an egg-shaped container made of bioplastic. The body of the deceased rests in a fetal position within this capsule, which gets planted in the earth like a bulb. A shallow circular depression is dug above the capsule to symbolize the presence of the body, in the center of which a tree is planted. Over time, the groups of burial sites become a sacred memorial grove.

So, I vote <environmentally friendly> burial ftw.