Cloth(ing) for the dead: case study of three designers’ green burial practices

The aim of this study was to explore the current green burial clothing movement by examining three designers’ work using a multi-case study approach. Green burial incorporates a sustainability concept into funeral practices. Cradle-to-cradle, as opposed to cradle-to-grave, is a model for sustainability practices that plan for the product lifecycle to continue after consumer use of the product has concluded. The works of Mark Mitchell, Jae Rhim Lee and Pia Interlandi were selected for the three cases of green burial practices in the context of cradle-to-cradle design using the five steps to eco-effectiveness. They used natural fibers in their clothing designed for green burial, and created clothing intended to be non-toxic to the soil and groundwater when buried with the body. Jae Rhim Lee’s designs included a mushroom culture to aid in decomposition of the body and remediation of toxins found in the body, resulting in compostable soil. In addition to the multi-case study, this study also examined a wide variety of primary and secondary research literature from the fields of forensics, archaeology, and textile science to identify current purchase options for green burial clothing and to inform suggestions for future development of green burial apparel within the context of cradle-to-cradle design. This study also urged the importance of consumer awareness in terms of the choice of burial clothing if considering the full implementation of the cradle-to-cradle design principles into green burial clothing practices. The findings of this study call for further research on sustainability in burial clothing.

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