A local business is adopting a (relatively) new option which sees a down to earth adopted for our earthly remains.
The first business in Tauranga to become a certified provider of natural burials, Hope Family Funerals is in step with a growing worldwide movement.
“When my parents started helping other families with funerals in 1979, embalming was the default and that did not sit well with them,” the company’s owner, Tony Hope, says. “They wanted the families to make that choice themselves, not the funeral home. So, we have always been strong supporters of caring for people as naturally as possible.”
Steadily rising in popularity, natural burials are an environmentally conscious alternative to traditional burials. The practice does not include embalming.
Instead, bodies are laid to rest in a casket made of locally sourced, untreated wood, cardboard or a shroud then placed in a shallow grave where it will decompose more quickly. A tree is then planted on the plot so the cemetery will, eventually, become a forest or native bush memorial.
“Achieving natural burial certification was a logical next step as it helps us offer all available options to support families to be able to have the farewell they want, with their wishes respected.”
Based in Tauranga, Hope Family Funerals provides a range of funereal options to ensure families can lay their loved ones to rest in a way that aligns with their values, Tony adds.
