Why can't people just opt to be buried without embalming or a casket? Sounds like a nice way to go buried whole and maybe with some sort of tree seed that grows over where you are laid.
Not going to lie on a personal level, the composting process sounds terrible.
That's usually how Muslims do it. Though we usually use very simple wooden caskets to ease transportation and handling . We usually also bury the corpse 24h or less after death, since we traditionally couldn't preserve it ( though refrigeration made that possible without embalming)
That's interesting, I didn't know we had that in common. Islam takes a lot from Judaism so I guess it shouldn't be surprising. If I had to guess about why it needs to be so fast though, it is probably not a good idea to not bury someone very very quickly in the middle east. As for the very simple caskets, in Islam it is because we are supposed to be all equal in death so going with expensive tombstones or caskets would be very frowned upon. That's why a Muslim cemetery is usually very "minimalistic" and the tombstones very simple.
I'd add (because it's not obvious from what you said) that the gasket does not go into the tomb. The corpse goes enveloped in white gaze. And before the transportation the corpse is cleaned with water and perfumed with safran.
I think there is the option (at least in the UK [1]) to be buried in a coffin which is quickly biodegradable, thereby speeding up the recycling process.
Sadly I know this because a young person that committed suicide opted for such a burial. I imagine the older generations are more concerned with tradition and religion.
Personally I'd opt for a Mongolian style sky burial. They just take you out onto a mountainside, cut you up a little bit, and the carrion birds and other animals come to eat you up. Seems like the quickest way to return your elements to the earth.
Hey dang, I don't actually understand what the above poster did wrong or why they were downvoted so heavily or why you felt the need to personally reprimand them.
Not saying you or anyone else is wrong for doing so, but I feel like something must be going over my head. Can you enlighten me?
Fair enough. I personally found it a macabre and funny yet unoffensive little quip - something to bring a bit of harmless levity to a fairly sober context. It made me chuckle anyway.
I post that particular moderation line a lot in a very specific kind of context, which this felt like an example of to me - but I didn't mean it to be a big deal, nor to come down hard on you. I'm sorry if it felt that way!
Human remains can be somewhat toxic (particularly to humans).
Human remains are a breeding ground for disease that specializes in breaking down humans. Now imagine that diseased juice getting into the local water system.
It's a myth that human remains are toxic. A human body is only as toxic as the living human that it once was. Which is to say, avoid getting blood and feces on your mucous membranes and you're not at any elevated risk.
With regard to drinking water, here's what the CDC advises with regard to whether people should be concerned with a natural abundance of un-preserved corpses in the wake of a natural disaster:
"Bacteria and viruses from human remains in flood water are a minor part of the overall contamination that can include uncontrolled sewerage, a variety of soil and water organisms, and household and industrial chemicals. There are no additional practices or precautions for flood water related to human remains, beyond what is normally required for safe food and drinking water, standard hygiene and first aid."
In general their broader advice is that you don't need to worry about any sort of disease outbreak happening if there are un-preserved corpses lying around (a position with which the WHO concurs).
We should be more concerned with formaldehyde leaching out of preserved corpses than from any chemical byproduct of human decomposition.
Enbalming isn't universal; AFAIK it's forbidden, or at least discouraged, in Judaism and Islam, say. Coffins also aren't universal (but can be made biodegradable, anyway)
Not going to lie on a personal level, the composting process sounds terrible.