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Many of the tombs in Japan are elaborately decorated. Nearby visitors can buy flowers, buckets. brooms and other gardening tools to tidy up the graves. John S Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images

Lack of burial space is changing age-old funeral practices, and in Japan ‘tree burials’ are gaining in popularity

In a Japanese tree burial, cremated remains are placed in the ground and a tree is planted over the ashes to mark the gravesite. Environmental responsibility is part of Buddhism.
When a life ends, those who remain deal with the body. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

When someone dies, what happens to the body?

A funeral director explains how the bodies of the deceased are prepared for burial or cremation in the United States.
‘Green burials’ that use biodegradable coffins or lessen the environmental impact in other ways are on the rise. AP Photo/Michael Hill

Life after death: Americans are embracing new ways to leave their remains

Although ‘Game of Thrones’ -style funeral pyres are still out of bounds, Americans are increasingly turning to cheaper, greener and more meaningful ways to dispose of their loved ones’ bodies.
It’s green – but is it good for the environment? Ioan Sameli

Live long, die green and leave a biodegradable corpse

My mother died recently and at the funeral home I was asked if I had any ideas what kind of coffin she would like. For some reason I said something environmentally friendly. These words came out of my…
Traditional burials take up space that could be used for forest or farmland. Stuck in Customs/Flick

Dying green: environmentally friendly burials in China

How we die, as well as how we live, has profound and lasting effects on the environment. Nowhere is this more true than in China, the most populous nation on Earth. According to the National Bureau of…

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