Green Options

LIVING GREEN ... with WEST FUNERAL HOME & LIFE TRIBUTE CENTER

- OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU -
At West Funeral Home, we are committed to providing you many options for end of life consideration. Whether Traditional Type Services, Cremation, or Eco Friendly or a combination of these, we are here to serve your every need.

The following information is meant to inform you about "green" or "eco-friendly" service alternatives. If you have any questions about information included, please let us know so we can help to clarify them.

If you appreciate knowing that our funeral home is practicing "GREEN" rest assured we are - from energy efficiencies, recycling paper & plastics - to offering products more green friendly like paper goods, caskets, and green burial options for our area.

The basic concept of green burials is simple.
Nature has intended that our bodies be reunited with the earth. All organisms that have lived, have died and returned to the soil...only to be recycled into new life. Constant microbial activity in the soil breaks everything down. Nature creates no waste. Everything is recycled.

In keeping with your personal values, a natural burial site for you, family, even pets, promotes growth of native trees, shrubs and wildflowers, in turn bringing birds and other wildlife to the area. Water is not wasted, nor are pesticides and herbicides used in attempts to control nature. Instead, a green cemetery allows nature to take it's course. Planting native trees, shrubs and flowers in your loved one's honor promotes habitat restoration. To encourage land preservation, a green cemetery grants a conservation easement for the burial site. (greenburials.org)

COMPROMISE
The transition from traditional burial to a full green burial would be a bit extreme. If the green concept is for you, then consider a slow introduction to it. Possibly a shade of green option would be a good place to start - please see options below.

As with the concept of "green" in general, green in funeral service means practicing environmental consciousness and being eco-friendly. It encompasses green funeral homes, green funerals, and natural burial.

CREMATION
In general, cremation is not considered "green" because the cremation process uses nonrenewable fossil fuels, even though cremation does use fewer resources than conventional forms of disposition. Cremation also produces airborne emissions. However, cremated remains do not need to be interred in a cemetery, which reduces land use.

It takes a lot of energy to cremate a body - roughly the equivalent of driving 4,800 miles. (ecoburial.net & greenburialpittsburgh.org)

GREEN BURIAL
(use all items listed or do a shade of green by selecting only a few) Gathering in a natural setting, Biodegradable Casket, No Outer Burial Container, No Embalming or Embalming with Formaldehyde Free Products, Organic Flowers & Food, Biodegradable Clothing, Printed Goods on Recycled Paper, Carpooling, No Grave Marker or Use of Rocks, Trees or Shrubs.

Extreme Green vs. Shade of Green Burial
outdoor svc vs indoor svc
no viewing vs viewing
natural casket vs any type
no outer container vs any type
distance to cemetery vs any cemetery
no engraved marker vs engraved marker
organic food/flowers vs any type

OPTIONS FOR A SHADE OF GREEN SERVICE

option I. No Embalming with Burial in 72 hours
Body Dressed with Biodegradable Clothing
Ceremonial Family Viewing
Services held within 72 hours or after burial
Eco Friendly Casket
Eco Friendly Outer Container
Burial in Local Cemetery
Engraved Rock for Cemetery Marker

option II. Embalming with no restriction on Burial
Body Dressed with Biodegradable clothing
Public Visitation and Funeral Service
Services held at your Convenience
Eco Friendly Casket
Eco Friendly Outer Container
Burial in Local Cemetery
Traditional Cemetery Stone/Monument

option III. Any Combination of the Above Options