Jon Hallford has been in the funeral home business for a long time. When he leaned over a casket this year to kiss one of his relatives farewell, he was affronted by the smell of embalming fluid. It made him wonder how many other people’s funerals did he ruin by the stench of these chemicals. This whole debacle made him take action. A few months later, he, his wife and his business partner Jack Dhooghe opened their brand new funeral home called Return to Nature Funeral Home. This all natural, green funeral home is the first of its kind in Colorado Springs.
The funeral home offers all the traditional services a regular funeral home offers. However, there are no chemicals involved, which means there is no embalming either. Colorado finds itself among the top ten states for cremation, which is present at the Return to Nature Funeral Home. Hallford notes that approximately eighty percent of their clients choose to have their loved ones sent to the crematorium. They are proud to offer their clients a natural and environmentally friendly option for their clients who happen to choose cremation. At their funeral home, you are not given the standard urn, you are given a biodegradable urn and a biodegradable bag to go inside the urn. It is a great way to look out for the environment and serve a large portion of their clientele.
If you are in the twenty percent that opt for a regular burial, there is no need to worry. Return to Nature will also be able to take care of you. This is where the no chemicals and no embalming come in handy for protecting the environment. Because the deceased did not get pumped full of chemicals, you can bury the deceased in one of the two green cemeteries Hallford’s company uses. The city-owned Evergreen Cemetery and the Fairview Cemetery allow green burials. You can bury your loved one in a shroud or a container made of natural materials, which are eco friendly. Please note that unfortunately you cannot use burial vaults in either of these cemeteries.
Hallford is proud that he is now looking after the environment. He knows that in the past he was unaware of what a detriment he and his fellow funeral directors had on the environment. But, he is now proud to be spreading the word and helping save the environment in any way he can. He also would like to let everyone know that you do not have to be worried about the cost of a green burial. You will actually save money when compared to a traditional burial. The average cost of a traditional funeral is around $7000 to $9000. A green burial is only around $1000 to $2000, which is a big difference. If you would like to consider having a green burial, do not be afraid to call Return to Nature Funeral Home or do some research online. You may be surprised at what you find and how many funeral homes offer this service.