A WILLIAMSTOWN couple, who want to be buried vertically for environmental reasons, hope ‘sustainable burials’ will be introduced in Melbourne’s west.
John Power, 79, wants a “natural” burial. His wife, Ann Morrow, 71, also wants an eco-friendly burial.
Ms Morrow says that after her body is “composted”, she wants to “make room for others”.
“There is so much waste, expense and environmental degradation of the environment with the current system of burials.
“And we’re running out of territory by burying everybody in the luxurious horizontal position in expensive, not-easily-degradable boxes.”
Mr Power has gained a seat on the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust community advisory committee in a push for natural burials to be made available locally.
“It’s a burial that minimises the environmental consequences of your body being buried, and usually you’d be buried vertically in a biodegradable shroud or a cardboard coffin,” he said.
“I was interested to see that the novelist who’s dying, Bryce Courtenay, has said that he wants a natural burial.
“In the 18 cemeteries that come under the control of the [Greater] metropolitan cemeteries trust, there are two in the eastern suburbs, at Lilydale and Healesville, that conduct natural burials already.
“So, we’re very keen on getting at least one site in the western suburbs. I think the most likely first site would be in Werribee.”
Mr Power said a lot of people were unaware of the environmental impact their death could have. “A lot of people don’t know that cremation, for example — which is quite popular — is very energy-intensive.”
He said the burning of a coffin created more environmental problems.
Mr Power said headstones were also being increasingly replaced with quick response codes as small as a five-cent piece which linked smartphones to online memorials.
Trust spokesman Scott Samson said that with the advent of website ancestry.com and the TV series Who Do You Think You Are? people were moving away from cremation and were more mindful of the environmental impacts of burials.
“For instance, at Lilydale and Healesville, from an ecological point view, we only go down five feet rather than the standard seven feet because . . . five feet allows the body to decompose at a natural but healthy way for the environment.”
