With NOR , one ’ s body is reduced to compost by placing it in a reusable vessel , covering it with wood chips and supplying oxygen to create an environment for microbes and essential bacteria . Over the course of 30 days , the body is fully transformed into soil .
Figure 4 - Wood chips , alfalfa and straw cover a body which is then aerated to create an environment for microbes and essential bacteria . A body is reduced to compost within 30 days . Accessed March 8 , 2021 : https :// religionnews . com / 2021 / 02 / 10 / recompose-nat
Whether a client chooses cremation , natural burial or some other alternative , keeping an eye on industry forecasts and seeing trends that are specific to Mount Auburn clients will ensure future successes .
Goals for a Sustainable Cemetery
SHORT-TERM GOALS ( FY2022 – FY2024 ):
1 . Continue on-going annual actions : a . Track GHG emissions per cremation b . Track body burials , including use of and materials in vaults and grave liners
2 . Consider transition of natural burial from single-depth to double-depth . The GBC will allow double-depth burial as long as everything going into the grave is biodegradable ( i . e ., no concrete or metal , not even to separate the two bodies ).
3 . Review Rules and Regulations for relevancy and determine the extent of changes , if any , that are required .
MEDIUM-TERM GOALS ( FY2025 – FY2034 ):
1 . Consider adding a section for sustainable cemetery changes in the next iteration of the Cemetery Development Plan
2 . Discuss GHG emissions per cremation and identify business case for offering the purchase of carbon offsets by either clients or Mount Auburn . 3 . Purchase carbon offsets to balance all cremation activity . 4 . Consider supporting alternatives such as alkaline hydrolysis or natural organic reduction
( NOR ) as legal and safe alternatives in Massachusetts
Mount Auburn Cemetery | Climate Action & Sustainability Plan 62