Going out in a green way.

Photo from Green Coffins Ireland

Last night I was finally catching up on my long overdue newspaper reading, and in the Sunday Times I came across a new green trend which has now found its way to Ireland. The Green Graveyard Company is a business started by Colin McAteer where he has leased a 7.5 acre site in Wexford to create Ireland's first natural burial ground. The aim being that the body is returned to the Earth in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way. He already runs a sustainable casket & urn business, where the caskets are often a woven wicker made from willow, banana leaf or other organic materials, and there are no permanent headstones at the burial site. Apparently, to make them even better, these funerals are less expensive than a traditional funeral. As you would probably imagine, eco-funerals are already quite trendy in the US & UK.

Personally, as a person without strong religious beliefs and a strong desire to live as environmentally friendly as possible, I love the idea. And knowing how expensive funerals can be... and how the industry fills your head with all the things you need to have a "proper" funeral - for just that little bit extra, well then it's great for getting rid of unnecessary excess.

Check out the beautiful eco pod coffin! Wowsah.

Speaking of excess, I'm starting to understand the concept more than ever. As a person planning a wedding, I'm finding it amazing all the little bits and pieces that the sickenly cute trendy websites start putting in your head. "Save the Dates?" Okay fair enough. Favors? Ehhh... Wedding website? No thank you.

Errr... it's amazing how similar funerals & weddings are. Not to mention that old Irish joke. Erk. Ehm.