Body Disposal Options
This will help you prepare for what happens to your loved one and may give your family some comfort during a difficult time. There are many body disposition options available to you and your loved ones, and it is important to understand them before making final arrangements.
Burial
In the classic "traditional" disposition option, burial involves the body being placed in a casket or shroud and embalmed. A funeral service or ceremony is then held, followed by burial in a cemetery.
Cremation
Another increasingly popular option, cremation does not require embalming or a casket and may be performed directly after a funeral. It is often less expensive than burial and can allow you to have a memorial service or ceremony after the cremation takes place.
Green Burial
Green or natural burial is an alternative to traditional burial. This method is environmentally friendly by allowing the body to decompose naturally and eliminating the use of caskets, vaults, and burial liners.
It is also a more affordable option and can be done quickly.
Termination
The leading eco-friendly cremation alternative, termination uses plant matter to speed up the decomposition process. This process reduces heavy metals, eliminates pathogens, and makes it easier for the soil to be recycled back into the environment.
This is a newer alternative disposition method that has received some resistance in the United States but is growing in popularity and is now legal in certain areas, including Michigan. The process involves pressure, heat, and lye to break down the body into its chemical components. The result is a liquid as well as bone ash that can be returned to your loved ones, either in urns or scattered somewhere meaningful.
Full Body Donation
The full-body donation option is not for everyone. Still, if you want to further the science community, donate your body to a medical school or tissue bank, or offer the gift of life itself by donating your organs and tissues, this is a viable choice. Over 65 medical schools across the country accept body donations for research and education purposes.
There are a few stipulations that need to be met for this option to be accepted, but it is an ideal choice for people who would like to further the cause of scientific innovation and improve the lives of others.
Human Composting
Currently only legal in the States of Washington, Oregon, and Colorado, human composting (also known as natural organic reduction) is a process by which a body is reduced to organic soil through accelerated natural processes. The resulting soil is used to grow plants for food or may be donated to reforestation projects in the area.
Mushroom Suits
For those who are more concerned about the environmental impact of burial, mushroom suits are a promising option. Using a special shroud that contains mushroom spores, the mushrooms ingest any toxins and accelerate the body's natural decomposition process.
Donation of Remains
Donating part or all of a body to an organization for research and educational purposes can be a rewarding and meaningful way to honor the memory of a loved one. The resulting analysis can be valuable to the scientific community, helping to further the understanding of how the human body works or how to develop better treatments for diseases. Check out this post for more details related to this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disposal_of_human_corpses.