green burials fertig
Green burials, much like this one, are becoming more and more popular, said Bob Fertig of Fertig Funeral Home in Mullica Hill. They are less costly and eco-friendly.
(Photo provided)
These days going green is a way of life. And, now, it has also become a popular way to say goodbye.
“It’s funny. Sometimes we have people come in and say, ‘Oh well, just put me in a pine box and throw me in a hole in the ground,'” said Bob Fertig, funeral director at
. “And we offer that option here.”
This option, called a green burial, consists of no embalmment, the use of biodegradable caskets, urns and shrouds, and a hand-dug burial site.
The reasons behind a green burial are simple: to return the deceased to the earth in a way that is both eco-friendly and spiritually cathartic for the families.
Fertig Funeral Home in Mullica Hill provides such a service.
Green burials are becoming more and more popular. Above, a coffin made out of pine is used.
“There’s always been the thought in the back of my head that this is what I wanted to do," said Fertig, who has served as director at the funeral home since 2004. “I have a passion for it and it's satisfying to help a family get through a devastating time. It’s a good thing.”
Ed Bixby, proprietor of Steelmantown Cemetery, a strictly natural burial cemetery located in
, in Cape May County, works closely with Fertig Funeral.
“Bob has embraced his calling more than any other funeral director," said Bixby. “He’s very open about his calling and he gives the grieving family a chance to actively participate in the burial."
After hearing about Steelmantown Cemetery in 2008, Fertig Funeral Home decided to go green and offer natural burials to its customers.
“I researched it and it intrigued me. I made contact with Ed and shortly after, joined the Green Burial Council,” said Fertig. “Ed and I work well together.”
Bixby said he realizes for most of the general public a green burial sounds strange.
“There was no other type of burial before the Civil War,” said Bixby. “It is very different from what you expect from a traditional funeral."
Most funeral homes prepare the body before a viewing. But at Fertig's, the process is all natural.
“We do nothing invasive to the body,” said Fertig. “We wash it, clothe it and cover it in a shroud. A biodegradable casket, opposed to a concrete vault, is also optional for the burial.”
One reason green burials may be growing in popularity: They are less costly than a conventional funeral, Fertig said.
“There’s not a lot of merchandising involved,” he said. “A pine box is cheaper than most caskets and there is no embalming fee.”
Death is a natural part of life, he added, and when the time comes he said he would consider using this natural style as well.
“I will be buried in a shroud with no casket on the trail at Steelmantown Cemetery,” said Fertig. “I really like that concept.”
For more information on green burials at Fertig Funeral Home call 856-478-2576 or check out
.
For more information on Steelmantown Cemetery call 609-628-2297 or check out
.