Bay Village Green Team to host expert in green burials

On Monday, May 10, the Bay Village Green Team will hold their quarterly meeting and will be showcasing a speaker, Chad McGreevey, to discuss what a “green” burial is and what it means when you choose one. Chad is a member of the Green Burial Council and is an owner of Zeis-McGreevey Funeral Home in Lakewood and Berry-McGreevey Funeral Home in Westlake. This will be a virtual meeting, starting at 6:30 p.m. For a link please visit our Facebook page or visit our website and join our email mailing list to be emailed a link: bayvillagegreenteam.org.

I know this isn’t the most pleasant topic, however it is an important one to think about and discuss with your loved ones, as we know the only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes.

Green burials are becoming more and more popular as individuals are increasingly thinking about the environment in their everyday choices and how to live (and die) in a more environmentally friendly way. According to the Green Burial Council, a green burial is “a way of caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact that aids in the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emission, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat.”

Some characteristics of green burial cemeteries are: they forgo toxic embalming; they avoid vaults; they choose biodegradable containers, caskets, shrouds and urns; they do not use herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers; they encourage sustainable practices; and they support land conservation efforts.

I hope to “see” you May 10 to learn more about green burials, what is involved with choosing one, and how this choice is an important one for the health of the planet. I am very much looking forward to learning more and hearing from an expert about this topic.