On Monday, 1st of December 2025, de Volkskrant published an article by medical journalist Erna van Balen posing a striking question: how can you make your funeral as sustainable as possible? In her comparison of different “end-of-life methods” of the human body, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) by Hedgehog was also featured.
For cooperative funeral provider DELA, we calculated the climate impact of several funeral types or body disposition method. The results clearly show how much the environmental footprint can vary; here’s an overview:
🔥 Cremation (gas): 181 kg CO₂-eq
🪦 Traditional burial (stone monument): 120 kg CO₂-eq
💧 Resomation: 118 kg CO₂-eq
🌿 Human composting: 47 kg CO₂-eq
⚡ Electric cremation: 45 kg CO₂-eq
🌳 Natural burial: 40 kg CO₂-eq
We based these figures on a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), in which we examine the entire chain. For a funeral this may sound unusual, but it includes, for example, the raw materials of the coffin, methods of production, transport, use, and the final process—such as cremation or burial. The calculations were made for the average deceased person in the Netherlands.
But as Erna rightly points out in her piece, sustainability goes far beyond the chosen body disposition method alone. Consider mourning transport—do visitors come by car or by bike?—as well as grave materials, locations, rituals, and even the food served during the ceremony. All these factors influence the total environmental impact.
Curious to read the full story? You can find the article in de Volkskrant.
.jpeg)
.avif)
