Green Burial Services

As our society seeks end-of-life care that protects our living spaces from chemicals and other non-biodegradables, the rise in popularity of the age-old practice of natural, or what is often called “green,” burial is inevitable.

“Let children walk with Nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life.” 

-- John Muir

In natural burial, the body is prepared for burial without chemical preservatives and is buried in a simple shroud or biodegradable casket. It is truly an environmentally sustainable alternative to existing funeral practices, where the body is returned directly to the earth to decompose naturally. But, there’s more to green burial than environmental awareness. Many families speak to us of greater meaning in the rituals related to this simple alternative to common funeral practices. And they seek green cemeteries that honor the beauty of the natural landscape.

Natural burial is a statement of personal values for many people who seek to minimize their impact on the planet. For people who are mindful of the cyclical nature of life, natural burial is a spiritually-fulfilling alternative to the conventional funeral.

Sytsema Funeral Home is approved by the Green Burial Council. As such we:

  • Accommodate home vigils
  • Allow for the families of decedents to have the option of a public viewing
  • Make available the sanitation, preservation, and restoration of a decedent with the use of noninvasive techniques/materials

We work closely with Ridgeview Memorial Gardens, in Grandville, Michigan, the only cemetery certified by the Green Burial Council in Western Michigan.

If you or anyone in your family wish to explore green burial with Sytsema Funeral Home, please call us at (231) 726-5210.