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Conveniently Green: Westmoreland County Funeral Home To Offer Green Funerals

Green Funerals Cheaper, Better For Environment

POSTED: 3:19 pm EDT October 31, 2008
UPDATED: 7:17 pm EDT October 31, 2008

The latest trend in going green is coming to Pittsburgh, and you can find it at a Westmoreland County funeral home.

The Saloom Funeral Home in Mount Pleasant is going to begin offering green burials this weekend. Only three other cemeteries on the East Coast, in New York, South Carolina and Florida, offer these kinds of burials.

Rick Rega, the supervisor of the funeral home, spoke to Channel 4 Action News’ Kelly Frey about the new service.

“The whole premise of the eco-friendly or green funeral is that the person themselves do not want any foreign chemicals in their body. And that’s their request, they want everything all natural,” said Rega.

Those who choose a green funeral can be buried or cremated without being embalmed, unless an open casket is preferred for the funeral.

The funeral home will offer caskets made out of bamboo, as opposed to hardwood or bronze caskets. Cremated remains will be placed in a biodegradable bag, or even an urn made out of papier-mâché.

Going green for your burial can be easier on your wallet. Traditional caskets must be placed six feet into the ground, and can cost between $2,000 and $15,000. The bamboo caskets run between $1,400 and $3,000, and can be placed 3 ½ feet below ground.

The funeral home has partnered with Rose Memorial Cemetery, which has set aside three acres for green burials, but Rega has had calls about burials in another unusual place.

“I have had phone calls about doing a burial in their backyard,” said Rega. “It is legal as far as the state is concerned.”

For more information about green funerals, visit www.saloomfuneralservice.com or call them at 724-547-2122.

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