“I’m making my own shroud to avoid cremation pollution”

“I don’t want my last act on this planet to be a polluting act, if I can help it,” explains Rachel Hawthorn.

She is preparing to make her own shroud because she is concerned about the environmental impact of traditional burials and cremations.

“I try so hard in my life to recycle and use less, and to live in an environmentally friendly way, so I want my death to be that too,” she adds.

A gas incineration produces the estimated equivalent carbon dioxide emissions of a return flight from London to Paris and around 80% of those who die in the UK are cremated each year, according to a report from the carbon consultancy, Planet Mark.

But traditional burials can also pollute. Non-biodegradable coffins are often made with harmful chemicals and bodies are embalmed in formaldehyde – a toxic substance that can seep into the soil.

In a recent survey from Co-op Funeralcare, run by YouGov, one in 10 people said they would like a more “green” funeral.

Rachel, from Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, made a burial shroud for a friend from locally sourced wool, willow, bramble and ivy as part of her work as an artist.

For years she has explored the themes of death, dying, pain and nature through crafts and functional objects.

But the 50-year-old sees the shroud, which can also eliminate the need for a coffin, as more than a work of art, and has since decided to make her own.

A common reaction from those who have seen the creation is to wonder if they can touch it, feel how soft it is.

For Rachel, it’s the perfect way to help people tackle the taboo subject of death.

She also works as a death doula, which involves supporting people who are dying, as well as their loved ones, to make informed decisions about funeral care.

“I think when we talk about death, everyone I’ve ever met finds it useful and healthy, and something that enriches life,” he says.

“When someone dies, it’s often so shocking. We’ve just gotten on a treadmill of ‘this is what happens,’ so I want to open up those conversations.

“I want more people to know that there are options and that we don’t have to end up in a box.”

The practice of digging graves to a depth of 6 feet (1.82 m) dates back to at least the 16th century and is believed to have been a precaution against the plague.

When Rachel’s time comes, she wants a natural burial, which means using a casket or biodegradable shroud in a shallower grave. The top layers of soil contain more active microbes, so bodies can decompose in about 20 to 30 years, rather than up to 100 in a traditional grave.

Natural cemeteries are spread across the UK and bear little resemblance to ordinary cemeteries: trees and wild flowers replace man-made grave markers and no pesticides are used.

Embalming, headstones, ornaments and plastic flowers are not permitted.

Louise McManus’ mother was buried last year at Tarn Moor Memorial Woodland, a nature site near Skipton. The funeral included an electric hearse, locally made wool coffin and flowers from her garden.

“She loved nature and being outside. She was concerned about what was happening to the environment and asked for her funeral to be as sustainable as possible,” says Louise.

Sarah Jones, the Leeds-based funeral director who organized the shipment, says demand for sustainability is growing.

Her business has expanded to four premises since opening in 2016 with an increase in sustainable funerals helping to fuel this expansion.

He said that out of a “bunch” of green burials, such requests now account for about 20% of his business.

“More and more people are asking and want to make decisions that are better for the planet. They often feel it reflects the life of the person who has died because it was important to them,” she says.

As with many green industries, natural burials can cost more. Many grounds, including Tarn Moor, offer cheaper plots to locals. One in Speeton, North Yorkshire, is run by the community and returns profits to the village playground.

On Tarn Moor, a plot plus maintenance for Skipton residents costs £1,177. Non-locals pay £1,818. The nearest council cemetery charges £1,200 for a grave, while cremation costs here start at £896.

Often away from urban areas and transport links, traveling to natural grounds for funerals or to visit a grave can involve a larger carbon footprint than more traditional sites, the Planet Mark report notes.

Shroud maker Rachel recognizes these challenges, but hopes for long-term change. She wants to see more local natural spaces and normalize attention to ecological death, while being respectful of others’ choices.

“In the olden days, women would come to their matrimonial home with their shrouds as part of their dowry and keep them in the bottom drawer until needed,” she says.

“I don’t see why people can’t have the shroud ready and waiting for them.

“I think it could be so normal, but everyone should have their own choices around it. It doesn’t have to be a certain way.”