Going Green, Even in Death?
Many people embrace a green lifestyle to ensure sustainability of the Earth's resources, allowing future generations to enjoy the same environment. However, sustainability is not just for the living. One can "go green even in death", and complete life's journey in an environmentally conscious way.
Just because life ends does not mean its impact on the environment does. Take traditional wooden coffins, for example. They require deforestation to produce, and when cremated, their short usage is followed by carbon emissions during burning, along with potential toxic gases from preservatives, paints, and other processed materials. While coffins are necessary, there are greener alternatives beyond wooden coffins.
Hong Kong has introduced eco-friendly paper coffins made from materials like honeycomb thick cardboard, recycled paper, or plant fibres (such as rice husks and sugarcane residue), reducing wood consumption, as well as being better suited for cremation. However, since their introduction in 2007, a survey conducted by the Consumer Council in 2021 revealed that fewer than 5% of families opted for them in cremation services.
Compared to the slow adoption of eco-coffins, green burial options launched by the government, such as the scattering of cremated ashes at sea or in gardens of remembrance, have seen a remarkable rise in recent years. These burial methods involve cremating the body first and then dispersing the ashes into designated waters or public and private gardens of remembrance. Unlike traditional burials or the placement of ashes in a columbarium, scattering ashes requires significantly less land and allows remains to return to nature. Since the service's launch in 2007, the uptake has surged from just 0.8% of deaths to 18.2% in 2024, reflecting the public's increased degree of acceptance of green burials.
Nourishing Corals and Lobsters
Globally, eco-burial options are even more diverse. In Okinawa, Japan, a method known as "coral burial" involves placing cremated remains into limestone memorials made from deceased coral structures before submerging them into the sea, where they gradually break down.
In the United States, artificial reef burials mix cremated remains with concrete to form rough-textured reef balls, which are then placed in the ocean to create habitats for marine life. Some locations even attach coral fragments to these reef balls to promote coral growth. The United Kingdom has adopted a similar approach, incorporating this method into local lobster rehabilitation efforts in the hope of boosting lobster yields.
However, all the above methods still require cremation. Some U.S. states have revived a more primal approach: placing the body in a sealed container with straw and microbes, allowing for its natural decomposition into fertiliser. After the remains have decomposed, families can later collect the compost and soil for planting or as donations to participating "land partners" for environmental restoration.
Currently, green burials in Hong Kong are still in their early stages. However, with an ageing population, limited land for cemeteries and columbaria, and rising environmental awareness, we believe that more people are likely to embrace these greener alternatives, along with even more innovative green burial options being developed.