AB-IRE; “A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS TAKING CARE OF YOUR GREEN FUNERAL”
With a “green funeral” you could think of the impact a funeral has on the environment. For example, you can think of environmentally friendly material choices for a funeral coffin, a tombstone or urn.
A “sustainable funeral” extends much further than just an environmentally friendly burial or cremation. Ab-ire funeral care is inextricably linked to sustainability.
Fairtrade: Social aspects, such as age and the local working conditions in countries where funeral products are manufactured, play an essential role for Ab-ire.
Sustainability: Ab-ire funeral care chooses to make as much use as possible of regional or local products and materials, but also of local entrepreneurs, suppliers, or employees.
With regard to the theme of green and sustainable burials and cremations, Ab-ire offers you ample options, such as:
✓ Unpainted/stained funeral coffins made of Dutch wood
✓ Funeral printing made of recycled paper
✓ Seasonal funeral floral arrangements from a florist with the “Barometer Sustainable Florist” quality mark
✓ Local and biologically friendly consumption
✓ Energy (CO2) neutral cremation
In addition, Ab-ire as a funeral and cremation company itself contributes to the environment and sustainability:
✓ Collaboration with local/regional entrepreneurs & suppliers
✓ Collectively and logistically efficient purchasing
✓ Providing knowledge, information, and advice on alternative options, such as:
1. Funeral procession
TU Delft has investigated that the funeral procession is the most polluting part of an average funeral. It is not so much about the transport of the deceased, but about the number of car kilometers that the guests travel on the day of the funeral. The number of kilometers driven per funeral could be reduced by, for example:
✓ Choosing a funeral at one location
✓ Choosing locations that are close to each other
✓ Inviting invitees to carpool together
✓ Choosing a location that is easily accessible by public transportation
This location does not necessarily have to be an auditorium of a cemetery or crematorium. Ab-ire Funeral Care is happy to inform you about the various alternative options in your area.
2. Burial or cremation?
Research has shown that, for a green funeral, it does not matter whether you choose a burial or cremation. Your choice of cemetery, grave cover or crematorium, and the use of ashes are more likely to influence this.
Ab-ire Funeral Care is happy to inform you about the diverse options in your area.
3. Green funeral coffins
Ab-ire offers you a wide range of untreated solid wood coffins from Dutch soil. These are all provided with environmentally friendly (Fairtrade) upholstery.
4. Clothing
Ab-ire funeral care is happy to advise you on the choice in which the deceased can be dressed in an environmentally friendly way.
5. Flowers
For a green funeral, it helps to choose seasonal flowers from Dutch soil. There are florists who also operate sustainably. They can advise you extensively and responsibly in this area.
In addition, there is of course the possibility to choose a donation to a good cause instead of flowers.
6. Catering
Cemeteries, crematoria, and alternative locations usually work with an existing assortment of consumption options. In good consultation with and by Ab-ire, organic, vegetarian, and local alternative products are often possible.
7. Funeral papers & Acknowledgement
With regard to the announcement of a death, invitation to the funeral and any later expression of thanks, a more sustainable alternative would be to distribute these digitally, such as by mail and/or via social media, instead of by post.
8. Grave cover
Most natural stones often come from far away. They are extracted with the help of enormous and extremely high CO2 emitting and environmentally harmful machines. This alone already has an enormous impact on nature and the environment. The mined rock must then be sawn into slabs in order to be able to transport and export it. Once arrived at the stonemasonry, these slabs must finally be sawn, sanded, polished, and engraved to the desired grave covering. It is difficult to find out whether the material has been produced both sustainably and Fairtrade. Sustainable alternatives are, for example, recycling/reuse of existing natural stone, a boulder in Drenthe or a grave monument made of other environmentally friendly material.
9. Ash destination and/or storage
Ab-ire is happy to inform you about the many environmentally friendly options for storing or assigning the ashes. For example, urns are made from recycled cardboard, natural resin, beeswax or from biodegradable plastics based on starch and corn. You can also have the ashes absorbed into a tree, shrub, or plant according to a special procedure. The ashes grow into a memory tree, a tangible reminder of your loved one.
10. Ab-ire funeral care
Last but not least: green and sustainable entrepreneurship is always a joint & dynamic process. It is (partly) dependent on external factors. For example, at Ab-ire, it is the wishes of the deceased and/or relatives of the loved one that help determine the degree of green and sustainable burial or cremation.
Green and sustainable entrepreneurship are of paramount importance to us. With over 22 years of practical experience and expertise, it is our task to inform, advise and guide you in a respectful and supportive manner. We do this with pleasure and with love!
Regardless of whether you need immediate help, expect an early death or whether you want to arrange your own funeral with a view to the future. You can contact us 24/7.