Choosing an Eco-Friendly Green Burial #1 Forego Embalming Embalming is used to temporarily inhibit the decomposition process and involves the use of formaldehyde, a toxic chemical that has been shown to cause higher rates of certain types of cancer in workers who perform embalming (Beane, Blair, and Lubin 2009). Depending on the circumstances of death, a dead body poses no health risk when kept in a 65° room for up to three days, and decomposition is slowed by natural cooling. What you can do: • Ask for the use of a refrigeration unit • Ask for the use of dry ice or Techni-ice • Ask that they use a nontoxic…
