Green Embalming Fluids: Do They Get the Job Done?

Among widespread demand for green funeral options, traditional embalming stubbornly persists. Even as it falls further and further out of popular favor in an increasingly-environmentally-conscious culture, we need it to do its job: the chemically intense process of traditional embalming relies on industrial-strength materials long recognized as hazardous to the death care workers and the environment, but it has been tolerated as a sort of necessary evil for compelling reasons. Delaying decay affords time to families and deathcare workers that makes possible viewing the dead and transporting bodies across great distances – things which without embalming might otherwise be out of the question.

So obviously, the task of facing off against one of nature’s most formidable forces – the decay of organic matter – demands extreme tools. If embalming’s main purpose is to forestall decay of a human body, is it really feasible to expect “friendlier” chemicals to be powerful enough to achieve equally potent effects?

Not Exactly New

Not quite (yet) as long-lasting as more traditional, highly-toxic counterparts, “green” embalming options aren’t really new to the deathcare scene – they’ve been available since the early 2000s. Chemically, such green embalming chemicals and preservatives differ primarily from more traditional forms in the absence of formaldehyde. They also include natural, plant-based extracts, including essential oils, compared to the typical toxic constitution of most embalming fluid. Green embalming chemicals are kinder to both the environment after burial, and they emit fewer fumes prior to burial.

And if that isn’t appealing enough for you, treated bodies are said to carry a fragrance of cloves or vanilla.

How Effective Can They Be?

They’ll still get the job done, though with reasonably flexible expectations. Primary differences include the duration effectiveness; factor about 2-3 days, compared to traditional embalming’s longer week or so; specific periods vary case by case, as they do in all other ways – factors include the nature of death and exact products used, as well as conditions external to the body and any additional forms of preservation.

For bodies treated with green embalming fluids, there’s often less overall rigidity, which can make it easier for death care workers to accomplish their work.

All things considered, it’s still early days; with the pace of technology and the advancement of methods in the deathcare space, green embalming promises to improve as time passes. With regulatory changes, ever-growing demand for eco-friendliness and scientific advancement, it’s certainly possible that eventually we’ll see non-toxic, biodegradable embalming options as effective as the widespread formaldehyde-based products already on the market. And if improvements can provide an equivalent delay, or even extend preservation beyond its current limits, even better.

Sounds like a tall order. Then again, so does a vanilla-and-clove-scented corpse, so who knows?