Eco‑funerals governance problem

Updated: 2026.01.13 16D ago 1 sources
New commercial ‘green’ burial and composting services are scaling in the West and promise restorative outcomes, but the claims rest on varied technologies, unstandardized emissions accounting, land‑use impacts and questionable marketing. Without clear standards, disclosure, and oversight (for soil contamination, forensic chain‑of‑custody, carbon accounting and consumer protection) these services risk becoming a form of greenwashing that shifts environmental burdens and creates new social inequities. — Decisions about how societies dispose of remains now have climate, land‑use, public‑health and legal implications; establishing provenance, environmental standards and consumer rights is necessary to prevent marketized grief from producing perverse ecological and social outcomes.

Sources

How to become a tree
Hannah Gould & Georgina Robinson 2026.01.13 100% relevant
The article surveys start‑ups, funeral directors (Green Funeral Company), and claims about cremation emissions and body‑to‑soil services as rising industry offerings that lack unified regulatory or scientific standards.
← Back to All Ideas