Sustainable End-of-life Planning

March 17, 2023

By Joy Peltier, Family Service Representative, Fairmount Memorial Association 

Forest Grove section of Riverside Memorial Park, Spokane

As we understand more about the environmental impact of the choices we make every day, we want to consider the impact that our final resting place may have. Fairmount Memorial Association is pleased to provide alternatives that are more sustainable and provide a more carbon-neutral alternative to traditional methods of caring for the body and interment. 

While thinking about this may be uncomfortable, Fairmount Memorial Association includes Heritage Funeral Home and seven local cemeteries, so we can help you plan everything you need from the time of passing to your final resting place.

Below are some sustainable options that allow your love of nature and the earth to live on, even after you’re gone. 

Green Burial: You are laid to rest in the Forest Grove section of Riverside Memorial Park here in Spokane. Heritage Funeral Home and Cremation uses no toxic chemicals, and no concrete liner is required in this portion of the cemetery, so the body is in direct contact with the earth. All final resting spaces are hand dug and natural basalt markers show your loved ones where to find you. Forest Grove is a peaceful and natural ponderosa pine forest on the northern border of the memorial park, just steps from the Spokane river.

Forest Grove section of Riverside Memorial Park, Spokane

Natural Organic Reduction: This method is also known as terramation or human composting. At the time of passing the body is composted and turned into soil. We partner with an organization in western Washington for this service. At the time of passing, we would take you into our care and facilitate the transfer to and from the facility on the west side. 

Cremation: Cremation is generally considered to be more green than traditional burial, and in many ways, it is. However, traditional cremation requires heat. In fact, it takes 100,000 BTUs of heat energy – equivalent to the consumption of 20 gallons of gas.  

Alkaline Hydrolysis: This is also known as water cremation, is the process of dissolving remains in an alkaline solution. While the process may sound like it uses dangerous chemicals, it’s a mixture of water and potash (a water-soluble potassium salt). The process works in much the same way as a body would naturally decompose in the soil, except at an accelerated rate. We partner with an organization in western Washington for this service. At the time of passing, we would take you into our care and facilitate the transfer to and from the facility on the west side. 

A natural basalt grave-marker

Being a Family Service Representative for Fairmount Memorial Association is meaningful to me because I get to help guide families through the many burial and funeral options available to them. My grandmother pre-planned her cremation, memorial, and cemetery placement, which was such a gift to my mother at the time of her mother’s passing. My mom and my aunts we able to grieve the passing of their mother without having to also plan everything. 

I would be honored to help you pre-plan your funeral, cremation, and cemetery needs. Our association includes seven local cemeteries and Heritage Funeral and Cremation, so I can help you have peace of mind knowing that your final wishes are in order. 

Joy Peltier, jpeltier@fairmountmemorial.com, (509) 508-1063