Eternity in Green – UK adults on alternative burial methods
In late November, the UK Parliament is voting on legalising assisted dying for people with terminal illnesses. Whether you are in favour or against this specific debate, death is a forefront topic in the news, lately. And despite its still taboo nature, our latest research suggests people do think about their own passing, as well as what comes afterwards. No, not in the spiritual sense, or at least not exclusively.
Our recent survey found that four in five (80%) UK adults open to answer questions about death have an idea of what they would like to happen to their body once they die. Among them, 49% are opting for cremation; this increases to 63% among those aged 55+ but lowers to just over a quarter (28%) among those in the 18-34 age group.
On the other hand, the option to be buried without embalming (green burial or natural burial) is more popular amongst the younger generation, with 16% of 18-34 considering it, compared to just 7% of 55+ year-olds.
Alternatives to traditional burials are still unfamiliar among UK adults
While 59% say they are at least a little familiar with green burials, other methods like tree pods (25%) and water cremation (23%) are still relatively unknown. This is not surprising, considering that some of these methods, for example human composting, are not yet legal in the UK; and even when they are legal, like water cremation, they are not widely available to the public.
The younger the respondents, the more they tend to be familiar with non-traditional burial methods.
Close to a quarter of UK adults finds non-traditional burial methods appealing
Almost a quarter (24%) of UK adults say non-traditional burial methods appeal to them; once again there is a visible generational divide, with 35% of respondents aged 18-34 who find alternative burials appealing, compared to only 16% of 55+ respondents who say the same.
Respondents who reside in the East of England tend to find non-traditional burials more appealing (29%), while Wales has the highest proportion of respondents who find them unappealing (47%).
Among those that find alternative burials appealing, the main reasons are that they are more environmentally friendly (50%), they make them feel closer to nature (40%), and they are more unique / personal to them (30%).
On the other hand, 48% of those who don’t find non-traditional burials appealing say that it’s because they don’t know enough about them. Another 24% say there is too little information, and 18% say that their family has only used traditional methods. If you’d like to know more about greener alternatives to traditional burials, you can have a look at The Good Funeral Guide’s website, for a UK specific approach, or at The Order of the Good Death, if you want to take a peek at the other side of the pond.
Elisa Zallio, Senior Research Executive at Opinium
