We recently lost someone unexpectedly and they did not leave us with clear instructions. It was rough going trying to arrange things. I don't want to leave my family that burden when I go.
there's those companies that stick you in fungus that eats you or plant you with a tree sapling that grows as you decay. but I've never looked into if they are actually more ecological than just a wooden box in the ground
Depending on your jurisdiction, burials require specific depths + a vault to ensure your remains don't affect the surrounding environment for some reason. To do the fungus thing you have to go to a location where it's legal.
Cremation has the lowest land usage but with the downside of the burning.
"green burial" is a thing worth looking into probably, but there won't be a viewing. same if you donate organs.
cremation would be the most simple for someone to follow through if you haven't prepaid and made arrangements with a provider, but has a big energy cost.
edit: you can also prepay for a "burial at sea" where a company just dumps your ass wrapped in cloth some regulated distance out into the open ocean. the cheapest option is "unattended" and like prob less than $500.
my instructions are just "chuck me in a ditch"
or a full state funeral, because bringing the capital to a screeching halt, with celebrities weeping over just some random dipshit would be very funny
If in the US, there are only two states that let you do green burial, so check the local laws. If the body is not already in one of those states, it has to be pumped full of poison to cross the border, so that will make it impossible to do the green burial in the first place.
I lost someone recently and looked into it, but the greenest option legally available to me was the cheapest cremation possible. I’m sorry for your loss. The funeral industry sucks.
damn thats a good one, i want to be incinerated and then compressed into a gemstone
Personally, I want 'em to salvage all the organs they can and then donate the rest to science or something.
I'd say sky burial but you'd probably give the carrion birds microplastics so
sky burial is a lot more feasible in a place with vultures.
I honestly want my body chucked into the woods and let the animals eat me. Unfortunately I can't find a way to have that happen without someone getting arrested.
There's alkaline hydrolysis - It's legal in 19 states, and the process is much less energy intensive than cremation. Your loved ones would be left with some ash remains, while you can also use the fluid remains as fertilizer. It's kinda controversial (you can choose to have your fluid remains disposed of as sewage, which is kinda horrifying to me) but I'd say it has lots of upsides if done correctly.
I have left clear instructions that I wish to be shot into the home of someone I dislike with a circus canon
