Holding a Green Funeral in the Winter

Losing a loved one in the winter brings a set of weather-related complications. Travel can be dicey, and memorial events like a burial or ash scattering may need to be postponed. However, every season is an excellent time to care for our precious environment. Here are a few tips for hosting a green winter funeral.

How to Hold a Green Funeral in the Winter

There are several eco-friendly things you can do to support a green funeral. Here are six helpful tips:

Sustainable Tableware Choices

Use real dishes and cutlery, or choose certified compostable options. It reduces waste and ensures a more eco-friendly event. Verify that local facilities accept compostable items.

Waste Management

Provide clearly marked bins for trash, recycling, and compost. Assign a volunteer to manage and transport compost to a local facility. Clear labeling helps guests dispose of waste correctly, maximizing recycling and composting efforts.

Eco-Friendly Lighting

Choose soy or beeswax candles instead of paraffin ones. Soy candles burn cleaner, while beeswax candles are natural and non-toxic. Both are biodegradable, offering a sustainable lighting option that creates a comforting atmosphere.

Sustainable Printing Practices

Print programs on recycled paper and consider vegetable-based inks. Look for FSC-certified paper. Alternatively, provide a digital version of the program to reduce the need for printing and minimize the environmental impact.

Eco-Friendly Food Choices

Serve organic and locally sourced food to support sustainable agriculture and reduce transportation emissions. Work with local farmers or caterers who prioritize eco-friendly practices to create a menu that reflects these values.

Sustainable Flower Arrangements

After the funeral, deconstruct floral arrangements. Recycle non-organic materials and compost the flowers. This practice reduces waste and honors the natural cycle, returning nutrients to the soil.

Indoor Tree Memorials for When It's Too Cold

If it’s too cold outside to plant a tree urn, The Living Urn offers an the Indoors/Patio urn. This lovely ceramic urn has separate compartments: one for your loved one’s ashes and the other for your tree. Large enough for a small indoor tree or a bonsai tree, this indoor urn comes in blue, white, and yellow. Its design also lets you use it like a vase with cut flowers.

The Living Urn also offers The Living Urn Planter made from premium rescued California Sycamore and FSC Certified Black Walnut wood. Like the ceramic urn, these planters securely hold ashes and have a place for a small houseplant.

If you want to wait until warmer weather to plant your burial pod tree urn, the Living Urn can help you. Purchase just the Living Urn system and have it mailed to you now. Then, when the weather starts to warm up, you can purchase a tree from a local nursery to use with the burial pod. Or, you can buy the Living Urn system along with a tree voucher that you can use to select a tree from the Living Urn’s award-winning nursery when spring is close at hand.

Fall Is a Great Time to Plant a Tree Urn (and Early Winter Can Be Too!)

Fall is a relative term, depending on which state you live in. The classic fall months for planting trees are September, October, and November. Some southern states, such as Arizona, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and South Carolina, support successful tree planting as late as December or January, while colder, northern states like Vermont or Montana might be too cold by December. If the ground isn’t frozen, you can plant your burial urn or tree pod and expect it to grow successfully. However, try to plant your memorial tree at least four weeks before the first freeze.

Benefits of Fall or Early Winter Planting

Here are a few reasons fall is a great time to plant a tree.

More Energy for Root Growth

Many trees drop their leaves in the fall. This allows trees to put the energy that would have gone into producing leaves into their root systems. Since trees go somewhat dormant in the winter, your memorial tree burial pod will have plenty of time to focus on growing its roots deep into the ground. With a robust root system, your tree will be ready to grow in the springtime.

Trees Require Less Water

With hot weather, trees need a lot of water. When you plant a biodegradable tree urn in the fall, your memorial tree will automatically need less water than in spring and summer. And, you have the added benefit of fall rain that lowers the watering you’ll need.

Increase Drought Tolerance

Trees planted with a biodegradable urn in the fall have more time to establish their root system before the stress of a hot summer hits. A tree planted in the spring or summer is thrust right into the hot season. A tree planted in the fall will have grown its roots for 6-8 months, making it better prepared to tolerate a dry, hot summer.

Easier to Plant

Fall weather is beautiful and makes you want to be outside. The cool, crisp air in the mornings and evenings and warmer afternoons make fall the perfect season to spend time outdoors gardening. Fall tends to be dryer than spring, which makes the ground easier to dig up for your tree. Soggy soil is heavier, making the digging harder.

Fewer Insects

Another benefit to fall planting is less insect life buzzing around. Many insects migrate away to warmer climates for the winter or go into hibernation. This means you’ll encounter less insect life while planting in the fall. Spring is when insects become more active, so if you want to avoid wasps and mosquitos, choose fall to plant your tree.

Honoring a loved one with a green funeral in winter respects their memory and cherishes the planet. By embracing eco-friendly choices, we create a heartfelt and meaningful tribute. This loving act ensures their legacy thrives, nurturing a healthier, more sustainable world for future generations. Visit The Living Urn today and discover how our wide range of eco-friendly bio urns can support a green funeral in winter!