An environmentally friendly death
By Janet Bernstel • Bankrate.com

Being green takes on a whole new meaning. We offer alternative death rites with the ecologic -- and economic -- edge.

Recycle, reuse, reduce. Why shouldn't these same eco-safe standards be applied to end-of-life choices?

Not only will they protect natural resources, but they will save the finances of the estate. You may not want to bury a loved one in the backyard (although in some rural areas, private land used as a cemetery is tax-exempt), but you can plan a dignified memorial service without the expensive trappings.

Take a step back in time to the "plain pine box" for instance. The difference between a plain pine and a middle-of-the-road casket can be hundreds to thousands of dollars. Plus, the simple wooden coffin consumes the least of our resources to produce, and can even be made by caring family. An attractive cloth of your taste can be draped over the box for formal viewing.

Living wills and organ donations are also eco-friendly choices to make in advance of death. Expensive medical treatments that may not contribute to the quality of life can be passed over at your request in a living will. The body can then be donated to medical schools, where research will help reduce medical needs in future generations. Organs and body parts can be recycled to offer valuable gifts of extended life, often with better health for the recipients.

Cremation may not be an option due to your religious beliefs. But many feel that ashes in an urn, or scattered to the sea, reduce the using up of "green" space for the dead. With cremation, funeral costs are also greatly reduced, and services can be held at a more meaningful or desirable location.