Planning & Options
Caskets, Shrouds, & Urns
Recommended and allowed burial vessels.
Only objects and containers of sufficient biodegradability will be permitted for burial at Baldwin Hill Cemetery. Examples of acceptable burial containers include:
natural fiber shrouds
unfinished wooden caskets built with non-exotic wood species
wicker baskets
cardboard caskets
other similarly fibrous biodegradable containers that enclose the body
Containers must be strong enough to support the weight of the body.
Casket height should be minimized to only that which is needed. This allows for a shallower burial (in the active soil zones) while still meeting soil covering requirements.
No plastic, imported exotic woods (such as mahogany), or significant metal components (exempting uncoated steel screws and nails for casket construction) are permitted for burial.
Dressing of remains.
Human remains should be dressed as much as possible in biodegradable clothing. Natural fibers such as cotton and wool are biodegradable. Baldwin Hill Cemetery will not require the removal of artificial implants because the lasting effects of such items do not significantly conflict with the purpose and mission of the cemetery.
Burial of other objects.
We do not encourage burial of extraneous objects with the body, however burial of items with the deceased are permitted under the following conditions:
The items are considered biodegradable and non-disruptive to the natural process of decomposition.
The items do not interfere with the physical process of burial or otherwise alter the final condition of the interment site in an undesirable way (large objects that displace significant soil may be deemed unsuitable).
The items have been determined not to pose any health or safety risks to contractors, funeral home workers, funeral attendees, cemetery staff, or the public at large.
The items will not have an adverse ecological impact.
The items do not require excavation in addition to what is otherwise needed for interment.
The Baldwin Hill Cemetery can refuse to allow the burial of any item they see as unfit.
Casket & Shroud options.
Funeral homes should be able to assist in locating and purchasing a burial container that is suitable for burial at Baldwin Hill Cemetery. As forms of green burial become more common, local options for acceptable caskets and shrouds will likely increase, and funeral homes will have more options to offer.
Across the country, there are many commercial products available. For a list of possible vendors, see the green burial council products page.
Most of the listed products on the GBC website are not specific to Maine. At this time, we do not have a list of local product vendors. If you are a vendor of approved burial containers and would like to be listed, please contact us.
Due to the inherent simplicity of a biodegradable shroud or casket, you may find options by speaking with local builders, adapting local products, or building a container yourself. Last Things discusses the building of your own casket.
Urns.
Baldwin Hill Cemetery encourages cremains to be placed without an urn directly in the grave and mixed with a mass of loosened native soil. This helps to dilute the alkalinity and high concentration of salts/minerals found in cremains. It has been suggested that such mixing may allow the nutrients to become more available to trees and plants and reduce the ‘burning’ effects to nearby plant growth. Burying of an urn is therefore not encouraged but is allowed if desired.
An urn of some kind is likely still needed to hold the cremains before burial and for transport. If the urn is not buried, any container of your choosing is fine. If the urn is to be buried, it must meet the same biodegradability requirements listed at the top of this page.
Holes must be large enough to fit the cremains/urn with approximately 6 inches of soil cover. You may want to choose a compact urn to minimize depth of digging.
There are also proprietary products that are biodegradable and claim to help with the issue of concentrated minerals and alkalinity. Two such products are the Living Urn and the Let Your Love Grow. These products are advertised as tree planting systems, which is not really the way they would be used at Baldwin Hill Cemetery. Such products are allowed for burial, though we feel direct mixing of the cremains with the native soil accomplishes the desired result much more simply and cost effectively.
Note: at this time, scattering of cremains is not allowed at Baldwin Hill Cemetery.