Funeral rites have not escaped the glare of the ecological transition. While alternative methods of burial are slowly emerging, traditional means of burial and cremation are evolving to reduce ecological impact, in particular with the advent of greener cemeteries.

In the words of André Malraux, “the most beautiful tomb is the memory of man”. The most ecological, however, has yet to be determined. We are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of our death, but we are still faced with a limited choice. “Only two types of burial are legal in France,” says Martin Julier Costes, a sociologist specialising in end-of-life and bereavement issues. “These are burial and cremation. There is a third option, which is to donate one’s body to science,” he adds, “but very few people make this choice.” The majority (6 out of 10) of funerals are burials. Cremation, on the other hand, has become increasingly popular since “the end of the 19th century and the authorisation of cremation”. According to the Association Française d’Information Funéraire (Afif), cremation will account for 41% of funerals by 2022, and more than 50% in many towns and cities.

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