The Association Of Green Funeral Directors

General information

The Association expects its members to always aim for the highest level of service possible, both personal and practical. This includes providing clear price information, empowering each bereaved family to arrange a funeral which meets their individual needs, and allowing them to have as much involvement as they want.

Members also make the following specific pledges:

1.On Embalming:
Not to carry out embalming as a routine procedure, but instead to give an accurate and clear explanation of the procedure to the bereaved and only carry out the procedure at the direct request of the bereaved or as a regulatory requirement,
Not to refer to the procedure as ‘hygienic treatment’, which has the effect of persuading families that embalming is at least desirable, if not essential.
2.On Literature and Other Information provided to the general public:
To ensure that they have literature available, and information on their website (if they have one), that gives eco-friendly options for funerals at least equal prominence to traditional options.
3.On Coffins:
That a range of environmentally-friendly coffins is made available to all customers.
That all staff who have routine contact with the public understand what characteristics make a particular coffin environmentally-friendly, e.g. made from recycled materials, constructed from FSC sources of timber, made from renewable sources, shipped "russian-doll style", locally sourced, and/or has biodegradable fittings.
4.On Natural Burial:
That all staff who have routine contact with the public have a good knowledge of, at least, the two closest natural burial grounds and are able to advise (prospective) customers about the regulations in force at those sites concerning: types of coffin accepted; tree planting policy; maintenance regime and long term vision; prices; extent of grave marking / memorialisation allowed; whether ashes can be interred, or scattered at the sites; and whether the sites are members of the ANBG (and hence comply with their standards).
5.On Flowers:
That all staff who have routine contact with the public have a good knowledge of environmentally-friendly flower options, especially those that avoid the use of non-recyclable materials and create funeral waste. These options should be given, at least, equal prominence to other flower options.