Environmentally Friendly Funeral Alternatives in Canada
For Canadians with environmental concerns, several funeral options reduce impact substantially compared to traditional embalmed burial. None are zero-impact, but the differences are real and worth considering.
Lower-impact options ranked
1. Body donation to medical school. Most resource-light. No commercial disposition; eventual cremation handled by the school. See our dedicated article.
2. Green burial. No embalming, biodegradable container, natural burial ground without lawn-cemetery maintenance. Body returns to the earth directly.[1]
3. Aquamation (water cremation). Lower energy than flame cremation; no air emissions; sterile liquid effluent.
4. Simple cremation with biodegradable urn. Lower impact than embalmed burial; some impact from cremation itself.
5. Flame cremation with scattering. Cremation energy use plus scattering in nature (no permanent infrastructure).
6. Traditional cremation with traditional urn in columbarium. Cremation plus manufactured urn and infrastructure.
Traditional embalmed burial with vault. Highest impact of common options.
What makes traditional burial higher impact
- Embalming chemicals (formaldehyde, methanol) leaching to soil/groundwater
- Concrete vault manufacture (high embodied energy)
- Hardwood caskets often imported from distant sources
- Grass lawn cemetery maintenance (pesticides, fertilizers, mowing emissions)
- Permanent ground use
Each can be reduced or eliminated by alternative choices.
Aquamation specifically
Aquamation (alkaline hydrolysis) uses heated alkaline solution to dissolve the body over a few hours. Bone fragments returned to family as 'ashes' similar to flame cremation. Environmental advantages:
- ~1/8 energy use of flame cremation
- No direct air emissions
- No mercury vapour release
- Sterile liquid effluent (vs. ash particulates)
Currently legal in some provinces and territories — including Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador — but not yet in others, including British Columbia and Alberta. Legal status also does not guarantee an operating provider nearby. See our dedicated article.
Tree planting and natural memorials
Growing option — use cremated remains as soil amendment for a memorial tree, often in a family garden or designated memorial forest. Specific products include biodegradable urns designed to grow into trees (BioUrn, Capsula Mundi-style products). DIY approaches mix ashes with soil for tree planting.
Cremated remains are high in calcium phosphate and slightly alkaline; best mixed substantially with garden soil and placed near (not directly under) the tree to avoid harming young roots.
What we focus on at It's Simple Will
The Funeral Pre-Planner captures disposition preferences including lower-impact options. The Funeral Cost Estimator compares costs across options.
Related guides
Citations & sources
- [1]Green Burial Society of Canada — Green Burial Society of Canada
Frequently asked questions
What has lower environmental impact than traditional burial?
Traditional burial impacts include embalming chemicals (formaldehyde returning to soil), concrete vaults (manufacture and material), hardwood caskets (often non-local), grass lawn maintenance (pesticides, fertilizers, mowing emissions). Alternatives reducing impact — green burial (eliminates most of these), aquamation (different mechanism), body donation (no disposition required), simple cremation (eliminates burial-specific impacts).
Is cremation environmentally friendly?
Mixed. Flame cremation uses substantial natural gas energy, releases CO2 and (problematically) mercury vapour from dental fillings. It's better than traditional embalmed burial in some ways but not zero-impact. Aquamation uses about 1/8 the energy and releases no air emissions but produces a sterile liquid requiring disposal.
What about tree-planting memorials?
Using cremated remains as soil amendment for a memorial tree planting is a growing option. Specific commercial products (biodegradable urns designed to grow into trees) and DIY approaches both work. Cremated remains are high in calcium phosphate and slightly alkaline — best mixed with substantial soil and used near (not directly under) the planting to avoid harming the tree.
Body donation environmentally?
The most resource-light option. No casket, no embalming for commercial purposes, no plot. The body is eventually cremated by the medical school after teaching is complete. Net environmental impact minimal — same end-state as cremation but used for educational purpose first.
Are biodegradable urns better?
Yes for in-ground burial or water scattering. Cardboard, salt, sand, paper, or other biodegradable materials decompose in the environment within months to a few years. Non-biodegradable urns (metal, ceramic) persist indefinitely and are best suited for indoor display or columbarium niche rather than burial or scattering.
Are there carbon offset funeral options?
Some Canadian funeral homes offer carbon offset programs — pay an additional fee that offsets the carbon emissions of the funeral. Quality varies; offsets are debated environmental tools. Best results from choosing genuinely lower-impact disposition rather than offsetting traditional choices.