Now, you can go 'green' even after your death

People who care for the environment can contribute after their death too - by opting for eco-friendly method of burial or cremation.

Entrepreneurs in Europe have developed two new and unusual methods of body disposal - including a low-heat cremation method and a corpse compost method that turns bodies into soil - both safe for the environment.

Cremation produces carbon dioxide and releases mercury from dental fillings into the air, while formaldehyde and other toxic substances that used to prepare bodies for burial can leach into the environment.

However, according to C&EN Associate Editor Sarah Everts, the new cremation method uses a highly corrosive alkaline instead of high heat to break down the corpse. The low heat ensures use of less energy and lower carbon dioxide emissions.

The new burial method, on the other hand, involves freezing the body in liquid nitrogen, breaking it into smaller pieces, and freeze-drying the parts, which are then placed in a biodegradable coffin for burial.

"No matter how you look at it, there's just no pretty way to go," said one of the entrepreneurs.

The article is published in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine.